Hindu religious procession attacked: Muslim woman hurls meat and bones at devotees as the procession approaches 'Muslim' area
Pune, Maharashtra, India 
20 June, 2025
Case Summary
In Pune’s Camp area, Maharashtra, a Hindu religious procession known as the Ashadi Wari pilgrimage was attacked and defiled near a Dargah by a 57-year-old Muslim woman named Nasim Shaikh. Sheikh deliberately threw meat and bones at the Warkari Hindu devotees as they passed by her house. The Warkari sect is a Vaishnavite sect of Hinduism rooted in the worship of Vithoba (Vitthal), a form of Krishna/Vishnu, and is geographically and culturally linked to Maharashtra. The annual Ashadi Wari procession attracts hundreds of thousands of Warkaris, who march towards the Pandharpur temple of Lord Vithhal, and this procession holds immense spiritual and cultural significance in Maharashtra. The palkis (palanquins) of Sant Tukaram and Sant Dnyaneshwar are also carried by devotees during this centuries-old pilgrimage on the Ashadhi Ekadashi. According to news reports, this incident occurred near the Gaibipir Dargah, close to Mammadevi Chowk, along Solapur Road, an area on the Wari route. As per the complaint of a Hindu devotee named Akkalwant Rathod, a resident of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, the incident took place in broad daylight as the procession passed through the Dargah area. A Warkari devotee named Maya Dhumal was struck by an object thrown from Shaikh’s hut. Upon inspection, Rathod discovered that the object was a piece of red-coloured meat. When Rathod confronted the accused, Nasim Shaikh, she abused him and defiantly declared, “Do whatever you want, I am not afraid.” Rathod immediately informed a police officer present at the scene. The officer intervened, disposed of the meat, and assured Rathod that appropriate action would be taken. Following this, Rathod approached the Lashkar Police Station and lodged a formal complaint against Nasim Shaikh. The police then initiated an investigation into the matter. The incident triggered outrage among Hindu Warkari devotees and raised concerns over maintaining peace and sanctity along the Wari route. The Maharashtra state government also implemented strict regulations during the Ashadi Wari, including a ban on the sale of meat and liquor in areas through which the procession passed, as well as in Pandharpur for the duration of the pilgrimage. The authorities urged citizens to maintain peace and avoid any actions that could result in communal tensions during the Wari procession.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the tracker under the primary category- Attack on Hindu religious representations. Within this, the subcategory selected 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 ISCKON 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. Another primary category relevant in this case is- Attack not resulting in death. Within this, the subcategory selected is- Attack on religious procession. The outward celebration and display of religious symbols in an intrinsic part of Hinduism. Religious processions on various festivals are age-old traditions and a way to manifest faith and form a part of the religious practices of Hindus. On several occasions, such religious processions come under attack by non-Hindu mobs, in a manifestation of their animosity towards Hinduism and their practices. The reasons cited for such violent attacks are many and range from crossing a non-Hindu resident-dominated area to playing loud music, crossing from an area where there is a religious structure of another faith etc. The violent attacks are triggered by the outward display of religiosity by Hindus. The attacks are mainly a manifestation of religious supremacist doctrine which believes that idolatry, essentially the Hindu faith, is one that deserves to be annihilated since the very tenets of Hinduism, its practices and traditions are considered a sin in those doctrines. Since these attacks emanate from intrinsic and doctrinal animosity towards Hindus and Hinduism, it is considered a religiously motivated hate crime under this category. The other subcategory selected is- Attack on 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 crossing 'Muslim Area'. One of the reasons that Hindus get attacked unprovoked specifically by Islamists is for crossing ‘Muslim areas’. Essentially, Muslim mobs often attack Hindus crossing or present in certain areas which have a majority Muslim population. It has often been cited as one of the reasons to blame Hindus for attacks against themselves, signalling that Hindus displaying religious symbols, taking our religious processions or crossing any area which is dominated by Muslim residents is a provocation in and of itself. These areas are mostly ghettoized areas where mobs mobilize quickly to attack Hindus for a variety of reasons like playing music during a religious procession, crossing a mosque, wearing a tilak or any other religious symbol in a Muslim-dominated area, praying at a local temple in that area etc. There have been cases where the few local Hindus of that area have been attacked on their way to the Temple for prayers as well, simply because the area is considered a Muslim-dominated area. Several times, it is entirely possible that the immediate trigger for the violence against Hindus was non-religious in nature, however, the violence became religiously motivated in nature because the area was Muslim dominated and the residents on the whole harboured animosity towards Hindus, evidenced from the actions of the mob, the slogans, and the nature of the attack. Such crimes are motivated by the religious identity of the victims and are therefore classified as hate crimes under this category. This case has been added to the tracker as a Muslim woman named Nasim Shaikh deliberately threw meat and bones at the Hindu devotees as they passed by her house in a so-called Muslim area. This act was committed in full view of the Hindu participants, directly targeting the religious sentiments of the devotees. The Warkari Hindus are a community that regards vegetarianism and ritual purity as central to their faith, and the throwing of meat on the devotees is not just an insult but a calculated desecration of their religious customs and spiritual practice. Such an act goes beyond mere provocation or mischief. It is a direct attack on the religious identity of the Hindus, intended to cause harm to their religious procession. The timing and location during the most important Hindu procession in the region, and at a point of high visibility, underscore the deliberate nature of the assault on the religious sentiments of the Hindu community. In this case, the attack was clearly motivated by religious animosity towards Hindus. The choice of target (Hindu devotees), the method (using objects specifically forbidden and considered impure in their tradition), and the context (a major religious pilgrimage) all point to an intention to intimidate, humiliate, and injure the Hindu community. This was not an isolated act against an individual, but an attack on a collective religious expression. The Muslim perpetrator wanted to send a message of religious hostility and contempt towards Hindu customs and those who practice them. By defiling the procession, the perpetrator sought to undermine the sanctity of the event and the dignity of its Hindu participants, making it a crime motivated by religious animosity. Such attacks on Hindu processions by Muslim individuals or groups are not isolated incidents. Rather, they reveal a pattern of deliberate targeting and defilement of Hindu religious processions. These actions clearly demonstrate that the Muslim perpetrators harbour disdain and hatred for Hindus and their religious customs and traditions. The religious motivations behind such attacks are very evident. Such attacks on Hindu devotees instil fear and insecurity within the Hindu community, who may feel that they are neither free nor safe to practise their traditions and faith. They also start feeling that their customs and beliefs are constantly under threat from the Muslim community, who exhibit deep-seated religious animosity. Such acts starkly illustrate the extent of anti-Hindu sentiment, leaving the Hindu community fearful of upholding their sacred traditions. Another important point to highlight is that this incident occurred near a dargah. There is a precedent for such attacks, where Hindu processions passing by a dargah or mosque come under attack by Muslims, as these areas are often viewed as 'Muslim areas'. This reveals a disturbing sense of Islamic supremacy harboured by the Muslims. In this case, the Muslim perpetrator clearly regarded the area near the Dargah as an exclusive zone for Muslims where non-Muslims, particularly Hindus, were unwelcome. This sense of entitlement and superiority not only reflects deep-seated prejudice but also underscores an attempt to assert religious dominance over public spaces. The deliberate attack and defilement of the religious procession was motivated by this supremacist ideology, whereby Muslims in the area looked down upon Hindus and believed they had the right to dictate who could move freely through the area. In this case, the act of attacking the Hindu procession and purposefully defiling it by throwing red meat simply for passing through the dargah area illustrates a dangerous mindset rooted in exclusion, intolerance, and religious animosity, making this a clear case of a religiously motivated crime against Hindus. It is also crucial to note that when the Muslim perpetrator was confronted by Hindu devotees, she defiantly declared, “Do whatever you want, I am not afraid.” This statement exposes her utter contempt for the Hindu community and a blatant disregard for their faith. Such actions are not only intended to insult and defile, but also to intimidate and undermine the confidence of Hindus in practising their religion freely. It further demonstrates a complete lack of respect for the religious beliefs of the Hindu community. This is a clear demonstration of a religiously motivated hate crime against Hindus; therefore, this case is being added to the hate crime database.
Case Status
Complaint registered
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Muslim Extremists
Perpetrators Range
One Person
Perpetrators Gender
female
Sources 
