A Texas man is suing a local Hindu temple, alleging it branded his son with a hot iron during a cultural ceremony.
Vijay Cheruvu, of Fort Bend County, said he did not give his consent for his son to participate in the event in August, during which he alleges several children were branded in front of a group of adults. He views what happened to him as someone trying to assert their ownership of him and not as a symbol of religious belief,” Cheruvu said. “He didn’t want it. The marks are a daily reminder.” Cheruvu believes the branding of his son is a crime in a state where tattooing minors is illegal, and last week he sued the temple and its parent company for more than $1 million in damages.
The lawsuit, filed last week in Texas’ 458th District Court, says Cheruvu’s son was burned on both shoulders against his will, causing extreme pain, permanent skin damage, an infection and emotional trauma.Cheruvu asserts that several children underwent similar treatment in the presence of adult witnesses during the event.
The legal action targets both the Ashtalakshmi Temple and its parent organization, the non-profit Hindu entity known as Jeeyar Educational Trust USA. Despite attempts to obtain comment from the defendants, neither entity has responded to the allegations.