Texas Boy, 11, Was Branded on Both Shoulders During Religious Ceremony: Lawsuit
Vijay Cheruvu is seeking $1 million from Sri Ashtalakshmi Temple, where his son was branded and allegedly left permanently disfigured, according to a lawsuit.
Fort Bend County District Clerk
The 11-year-old was branded with an outline of a Hindu godA man alleges his son was branded during a ceremony at the Sri Ashtalakshmi Temple last August
The child was among several who were allegedly branded with a hot iron rod, according to the complaint
The child was awake and not given any medical care during or after the branding, the complaint alleges
A Texas father is suing a local Hindu temple and its parent organization, alleging that his son was branded during a religious ritual and left permanently disfigured, according to a lawsuit originally reported on by Houston Public Media and reviewed by PEOPLE.
Vijay Cheruvu claims his 11-year-old son was left with “permanent disfigurement” after being branded twice while attending a ceremony with his mother at the Sri Ashtalakshmi Temple in Sugar Land, Texas, in August, the complaint states.
It further alleges that the boy, identified only as T.C. in the documents, was among several children who were branded with hot iron rods. T.C. was awake and conscious during the incident, the complaint alleges, and not given any medication to heal the wound. No medical professionals were present during the ritual, per the complaint.
Cheruvu said his ex-wife took the boy to the temple; Cherevu and the ex-wife shared custody of T.C., FOX 26 reported. At the ceremony, there were reportedly 94 adults and three children who were branded, the complaint alleges, per the outlet.
Photographs presented in the complaint show “brandings” on two shoulders of the child, each representing the outline of a Hindu god.
“This is not a ceremony that’s widely used across Hinduism, this is something that’s a very small sect,” Cheruvu’s attorney Brant Stogner said, according to KHOU 11.
Cheruvu, who is Hindu himself, alleged that neither he nor any of his family members have ever been branded, saying it’s not a part of the religion, per FOX 26.
"This is a traveling guru, and he probably goes all over the place doing this, goes to different temples doing this," Stogner has said, per FOX 26.
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Cheruvu claims his son is experiencing deep mental and emotional anguish, and that he no longer trusts adults, per FOX 26.
"He doesn’t want to be around many people,” Cheruvu told the outlet. “Out of the blue, once in a while, he’ll say why did this happen to me? Why didn’t anybody stop this.”
The lawsuit is demanding $1 million in damages. PEOPLE has reached out to the temple and JETUSA Texas, the parent company, for comment.
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