The family of an 11-year-old boy is suing a Hindu temple in Texas after he was branded with a hot iron during a religious ceremony.
Vijay Cheruvu said his son is suffering extreme pain and permanent disfigurement due to the branding he received without his father’s notice or approval.
“I was shocked. I didn’t know how to deal with it. My main concern is my son’s health,” Cherub said. he told KHOU TV.
More than 100 people attended a ceremony held at the Ashtalakshmi Temple on Sinnott Street in Sugar Land in August, according to the complaint. Three of the participants were children, including Cherub’s son.
He said his son had two spots branded in the shape of the Hindu god Vishnu on his shoulder.
Attorney Brant Stogner said the boy suffered an infection and burns from the incident. They are suing the temple and its parent company over the incident, seeking a $1 million payout.
“This is not a widespread ritual across Hinduism, but rather a very small sect,” Stogner explained.
The child’s identity has not been released, but a lawyer read out the boy’s shocking statement.
“I was very surprised. I didn’t expect something like this to happen. I was in shock when my shoulder was injured, and it hurt so much that I almost cried,” he said in part.
“They knew what they had done was very wrong, because they were told to keep it a secret from everyone else. But when the pain got worse and they got an infection, , I had to tell my father,” he added.
Mr. Stogner said that legally a child cannot consent to be disfigured for religious reasons.
“It doesn’t matter what your religion is. Children should not be burned,” he said.
According to Cherub, her son taken to the temple by his ex-wife. His son was branded, but his mother was not. Cherub’s attorney said the action violates Texas law.
“Under Texas law, both statutory and common law, a child cannot consent to being burned or scarred. A child’s mother cannot consent to her son or daughter being burned or scarred. “We can’t do that,” Stogner said.
The father insists that being branded indicates loyalty to a particular religious leader and is not part of his shared religious beliefs.
“This is a traveling guru who probably goes all over the place to do this and goes to different temples to do this,” Stogner said.
KHOU said neither the temple nor its parent company has commented on the lawsuit.
“He’s been seeing a therapist. He’s very traumatized, mentally scarred, and then all the pain hit,” his father said.
An advertisement outside the Hindu temple says they are building the fourth largest statue in the United States.
Details of this lawsuit are as follows:
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