Minor boy branded without father's consent

Incident took place at Sri Ashtalakshmi temple

The identity of the child in wraps

An Indian-origin man has filed a lawsuit against a Hindu temple and its parent organization in the US, seeking over $1 million in damages following an incident where his 11-year-old son was branded with a hot iron rod during a religious ceremony last year. The incident took place at the Sri Ashtalakshmi Hindu temple in Sugar Land, Texas, in August, leaving the boy with severe pain and permanent disfigurement.

Vijay Cheruvu, residing in Fort Bend County, Texas, expressed shock and concern for his son’s well-being during a press conference. He said that he was shocked and didn’t know how to handle it.

According to the lawsuit filed in Fort Bend County, Cheruvu is seeking damages from the temple and its parent organization, Jeeyar Educational Trust (JET) USA Inc.

During the ceremony at the Sri Ashtalakshmi temple, which involved over 100 participants, including three children, Cheruvu’s son was branded with the hot iron rod without his father’s knowledge or consent. His former wife took the boy to the temple.

Brant Stogner, Cheruvu’s lawyer, emphasized that branding a child is against the law in Texas, regardless of parental consent. He highlighted the boy’s severe pain, permanent disfigurement, and subsequent infection from the branding.

The child, whose identity remains undisclosed, described his experience, expressing surprise and pain from the branding. Despite attempts to contact the temple for comments, there has been no response to calls or emails, as reported.