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Texas Hindu temple sued after 11-year-old branded in religious ceremony
The boy was branded on both shoulders with hot iron rods at the Sri Ashtalakshmi temple in Sugar Land, Texas, during a ritual in Aug. 2023
The lawsuit filed in Fort Bend county court is seeking US$1 million in damages / Fort Bend county
The Sri Ashtalakshmi Temple in Sugar Land, Texas, and its parent organization were named as defendants in a lawsuit by a father alleging that his son was branded with hot rods during a religious ceremony at the premises in Aug. 2023.
Vijay Cheruvu alleges that his son was branded on both shoulders and suffered “extreme pain and permanent disfigurement” as a result of the branding. The lawsuit filed in Fort Bend county court is seeking US$1 million in damages.
The document further alleges that the boy, identified as T.C. was one among several minor children who were branded with hot iron rods. The defendants did not ensure the presence of medical professionals on the ground for safety, and no medication was provided to manage the pain from the branding, the lawsuit alleges. It further said that T.C. was awake during the experience and developed an infection as a result of the branding.
Cheruvu has shared custody of T.C. with his ex-wife who had accompanied the child to the temple on the day of the branding, according to a Fox26 report. A temple representative told the outlet that the brandings were part of a “ritual.” Cheruvu’s attorney Brant Stogner said Texas’s statutory and common law do not allow burning or scarring a child, and the child or the mother cannot provide consent for such activities.
Additionally, Cheruvu, a Hindu, opined that the branding was not a part of a religious ritual, as neither he nor his friends and family have ever been branded. He said that the ritual was conducted to show loyalty to a particular religious leader and not a deity.
"This is a traveling guru, and he probably goes all over the place doing this, goes to different temples doing this," Stogner said. Excerpt –
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