The Kerala police registered a case against the person, who performed the Thookku Vazhipadu ritual in Kerala temple, after a ten-month-old baby fell from his hand while performing the ritual. Sanu, a native of Adoor, and one of the performers of the ritual, was booked under Section 338 (causing grievous hurt to any person by doing any act rashly or negligently as to endanger human life) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
The incident occurred in Ezhamkulam Devi temple in Pathanamthitta district on the night of February 17. The chairman of the Kerala State Child Rights Commission on Sunday, February 18, directed the District Child Protection Committee to take action against those responsible for the incident.
The child fell from a height of ten feet and suffered a hand fracture. The parents of the child, a baby boy, are from Pathanapuram. The temple authorities said the child slipped from the hand of the performer accidentally.
It is evident from the video clip of the incident that the child was not secured before the ritual. Apart from Sanu, two more people also participated in the performance.
Since there were no complaints, the police didn’t register any cases, but later, however, the Child Rights Commission asked the police to take immediate action.
Garudan Thookkam is a ritual performed in the Kali temples in some Kerala districts. The participants of the ritual dress up like Garuda and perform the dance. After the performance, they dangle from a shaft hooking the skin on their back. However when the incident happened the performers were secured with the help of a cloth to the pole but child was not.