Indian-origin man sues temple in US over branding son with hot iron rod

An Indian-origin man has sued a temple in the United States for$1 million in damages over branding his son with a hot iron rod as part of a religious ceremony last year.

Vijay Cheruvu, a resident of Texas' Fort Bend County alleged that his 11-year-old son was branded with a hot iron rod during a religious ceremony at the Sri Ashtalakshmi Hindu temple in Sugarland, Texas in August 2023.

The lawsuit filed in Fort Bend County stated that the boy suffered excruciating pain and permanent disfigurement.

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Cheruvu is seeking over $1 million in damages in the lawsuit against the temple and its parent firm, Jeeyar Educational Trust (JET) USA, Inc.

“I was shocked. I didn’t know how to handle it. My primary concern is for my son’s well-being,” Cheruvu said at a press conference here.

He stated that the temple branded his son on his shoulder in the shape of the Hindu god, Vishnu.

The lawsuit alleges that more than 100 people took part in the religious ceremony at the Ashtalakshmi Temple at Synott Road in Sugar Land in August 2023, out of which, three participants were children, including Cheruvu's son.

Cheruvu's attorney, Brant Stogner, claimed that the boy, who was branded in both shoulders, suffered severe pain and permanent disfigurement and also developed an infection because of it.

The 11-year-old went to the temple along with his mother to attend the ceremony and was branded with the iron rod against his will and without the consent of his father, said Stogner.

He further said that branding, tattooing or scarring a child is illegal in Texas even with parental consent.

"This is happening basically in our backyard over here, so that's the reason we filed the lawsuit," Stogner said.

"We want to make sure our community is aware of this and want to make sure it doesn't happen to anybody else, anybody else's child or any child at all."

The child was not identified, however, the attorney read out an impact statement from him.

"I was so surprised. I did not know that anything was going to happen like this. I was shocked when they did it on my shoulder and it hurt so much that I almost cried," he said in part.

"They knew what they did was very wrong because they told me to keep it secret from everyone else. But I had to tell my dad when the pain got worse and it became infected," he added.

Cheruvu claimed that his son was taken to the temple by his ex-wife andwas branded with the iron rod but the mother was not.

"He goes to see a therapist. He’s so deeply scarred, mentally scarred, and then there’s all the pain," said the father.

(With inputs from agencies)