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Days after the Kerala HC upheld the ban imposed by Kerala State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (KeSCPCR) on the controversial ritual Chooral Muriyal, the police have filed an FIR against those who defied the court orders and conducted the banned ritual at Chettikulangara devi temple on Thursday.
Police officials confirmed that they have registered contempt of court cases against the temple authorities, the parents of kids and others who were part of the ritual.
According to the district police chief S Surendran, as many as 30 kids below eight were subjected to the ritual on Thursday.
The officer has also asked the officials to collect CCTV visuals and the medical reports of the children as evidence.
“No specific name of the accused has been mentioned in the FIR”, said S Surendran.
The Kerala High Court had on February 20 pronounced its verdict and upheld the ban. The court had also made it clear that strict action will be taken if anybody is found defying the order.
Temple authorities had earlier confirmed to TNM that the officials had issued warnings to the devotees to abstain from the ritual and such practices will not be encouraged in temple premises owing to the court order.
Chooral Muriyal is a controversial ritual which involves young boys and has been practiced in the state for decades now. The ritual is performed at the Chettikulangara Devi Temple in Alappuzha district during its annual ‘bharani’ festival. Chooral Muriyal is also part of a larger festival called ‘Kuttiyattam’.
In this ritual, a thin golden twine is inserted through the boys’ skin, near the waist, and is then tied to their neck. The boys are then made to dance with elaborate steps in front of the deity. The golden twine is later offered to the goddess Badrakali.
The Kerala HC had banned the ritual in 2016 and recently after checking the videos submitted by Kerala State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (KeSCPCR), the court upheld its 2016 ban.