Minor Hindu girl sexually assaulted by two Muslim men while praying inside a Hindu temple, victim's brother beaten while trying to save her
Bhilwara, Rajasthan, India 
24 May, 2025
Case Summary
In Bhilwara, Rajasthan, a minor Hindu girl was sexually assaulted and her younger brother was beaten by two Muslim youths inside the premises of a Hindu temple. While the girl was molested while she was offering prayers, the brother was assaulted while trying to save his sister. According to news reports, the girl and her younger brother were visiting their maternal grandmother’s house in the village. They went to a nearby Hanuman temple, where the girl was sexually assaulted by two Muslim youths. When the victim’s brother intervened, he was beaten and chased away. He ran home to inform his family, and news of the incident quickly spread throughout the village. The Muslim perpetrators then tried to forcibly take the girl behind the temple. Local residents, alerted by the girl’s screams, rushed to the scene and apprehended both accused individuals. In their anger, the villagers beat the accused and subsequently set their motorbikes on fire. The incident created significant tension in the area. Upon receiving information about the incident, the police arrived at the scene and brought the situation under control. Both accused were taken into custody and brought to the police station. Eyewitness Bhairu Lal stated that he called the police and reported the incident, after which officers responded promptly. The victim and her family went to the police station and filed a case against both accused under the POCSO Act. Police registered the case and arrested both perpetrators. Asind police station in-charge, Hanspal Singh Chauhan, confirmed that a case has been registered following the victim’s complaint. A preliminary investigation is underway, and further action will be taken soon. He also said that currently, the situation in the area is calm.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the Hinduphobia Tracker under the primary category - Attack not resulting in Death. The subcategory chosen is- Attack against Hindu devotees. Hindu devotees are a few of the easiest targets of religiously motivated hate crimes because during the festival/procession/puja etc, for non-Hindus it is easy to profile their victims on the basis of religion. Hindu devotees come under attack on several occasions by individual non-Hindus or mobs of non-Hindus owing to their animosity against Hinduism, its symbols and tradition/practices. There are several instances of Hindu devotees being attacked while they worship in temples or temporary religious structures, during religious processions, doing bhajan/kirtan/puja in their own homes, in the residential society etc. These attacks are perpetrated by non-Hindus primarily because of their animosity towards Hindus and their faith. In some cases, the trigger for the violence may be non-religious, however, there are two elements that make these hate crimes. First, the Hindus who come under attack are attacked violently while indulging in religious activity. Whether they are in a place of worship or not is immaterial to the crime. When individuals are attacked while indulging in religious practices, the attack in itself is a hindrance to their freedom to practice religion and therefore constitutes a hate crime. Secondly, religious supremacist doctrines and ideologies deem religious practices of Hindus to be offensive ab initio since they are considered “sinful” by these ideologies, worthy to be annihilated by force or coercion. Driven by these religious supremacist ideologies and doctrines, the attacks against Hindu devotees stem from intrinsic animosity towards Hinduism. In some cases, the trigger for the violence may be non-religious, however, it develops into a religiously motivated crime during the course of the violence. Since these attacks stem from animosity towards Hindus and Hinduism, they are considered religiously motivated hate crimes under this category. The other subcategory selected is - Attacked for opposing radicals or trying to save the victim. In several cases, Hindus are attacked for opposing religiously motivated crimes being committed against a fellow Hindu or simply for voicing an opinion opposing radical elements, who either have in the past or continue to persecute Hindus. In such cases, the initial attack against the victim, against which the Hindu was trying to defend the victim, would also need to be classified as a religiously motivated hate crime. Since the initial crime itself was religiously motivated and the subsequent crime of attempting to save the victim or speaking against the radical elements ends up inviting a violent attack, it would also be classified as a religiously motivated hate crime under this category. Another primary category selected in this case is - Attack on Hindu religious representations. The subcategory in this is- Defiling religious customs. Sanatan Dharma is not a religion of one book, which is to say that while it has religious scriptures that form the central tenets of the faith, there are several traditions followed through thousands of years, mostly passed from generation to generation orally. There are several such customs and traditions that are followed by various Hindus and Hindu sects. Defiling of these traditions and customs is a breach of an individual or group’s religious practices. Such practices can range from dietary restrictions like not eating non-vegetarian food for a certain period of the year, not eating non-vegetarian food at all, not eating beef since the cow is considered holy in Hinduism, the sanctity of religious customs followed in the house (like many ISKCON devotees), etc. Any malicious action leading to the breach of such traditions or defilement of these traditions owing to animosity towards the faith or for the sake of activism stems not only from the lack of faith in the religion itself but also from disregard for the faith of the devotees who follow the customs/traditions and implicit bias against the faith, the tradition itself. Since these specific traditions are central to the faith of the devotees of that specific sect of Hindus, any non-compliance with these traditional rules would be considered a religiously motivated hate crime. This case has been added to the Hinduphobia Tracker because it exhibits clear indicators of religiously motivated violence. The assault occurred inside a Hindu temple while the victim, a Hindu girl, was engaged in religious worship—an act that directly ties the crime to her religious identity. Hindu temples are considered sacred, and acts of violence or sexual assault within the premises of the temple are viewed as a grave violation of religious sanctity. The fact that the perpetrators targeted her in a sacred space, during prayer, strongly suggests not just a personal attack but one intended to humiliate and desecrate Hindu religious practices. Furthermore, when the girl's younger brother attempted to protect her, he too was attacked, reinforcing the deliberate aggression against those defending Hindu religious dignity. Such actions are perceived as defiling Hindu customs and traditions, as temples are places where Hindu devotees seek spiritual solace and protection. Any act that disrupts this sanctity, especially one involving the exploitation or harm of Hindu women and girls, is deeply offensive to Hindu religious sentiments and is regarded as an attack on their collective identity. This incident is also an attack on Hindu devotees at large. Temples are central to Hindu spiritual life, serving as gathering places for worship, celebration, and community bonding. An attack on Hindus within these premises, particularly against vulnerable members such as children, creates fear and insecurity among devotees. It undermines the sense of safety that worshippers expect in their places of worship and can be seen as an attempt to intimidate the Hindu community. Such incidents, where attacks on Hindu devotees or temples have occurred, have been widely condemned as assaults on religious freedom and the right to worship safely. Furthermore, such incidents of violence or desecration against Hindu temples and devotees can be interpreted as part of a broader pattern of religious persecution or communal attack. Such instances of molestation of Hindu girls in religious spaces and violence against devotees are not isolated acts; they often resonate deeply within the community and are seen as attempts to undermine religious identity. These acts of violence and desecration are done by Muslim perpetrators due to immense animosity towards Hindus and their faith. In summary, the sexual assault of a Hindu girl and the physical assault of her brother inside a temple in Bhilwara is viewed as a hate crime because it targets individuals based on their religious identity, defiles the sanctity of Hindu customs and temples. This also constitutes an attack on the safety and dignity of Hindu devotees as a whole. As this case fits the parameters of a religiously motivated attack, it is being added to the hate crime database.
Victim Details
Total Victim
2
Deceased
0
Gender
- Male 1
- Female 1
- Third Gender 0
- Unknown 0
Caste
- SC/ST 0
- OBC 0
- General 0
- Unknown 2
Age Group
- Minor 2
- Adult 0
- Senior Citizen 0
- Unknown 0
Case Status
Arrested
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Muslim Extremists
Perpetrators Range
From 2 To 5
Perpetrators Gender
male
Sources 
