In Sugar Land, Texas, an Indian American father launched legal action against a Hindu temple and its parent organisation. Vijay Cheruvu of Fort Bend County alleged that his 11-year-old son, a minor, was molested by temple priests during a ceremony.

Jeer Educational Trust (JET) USA Inc. During a ritual at the Ashtalakshmi temple in Sugarland, conducted under the aegis, his son, along with his ex-wife, burned an iron rod to a red hot state and applied conical wheel marks on both shoulders. This resulted in the child being in severe pain, requiring several hospital visits in the following days. Alleging that the temple staff intervened and failed to provide medical aid, they moved the court for compensation of $1 million (roughly Rs. 8.33 crore).

The lawsuit, filed on April 1, cites various media reports indicating that the act took place without parental consent and appears to have taken place on August 5. Andrew Williams, representing Vijay, argued that molestation of a minor is a criminal offence regardless of parental consent. . Citing the Texas Health and Safety Code, Williams highlighted that it is illegal to tattoo or mark children with or without parental consent. He described the boy's injuries as third-degree burns. Williams claims that after consulting a doctor about these injuries, the doctor insisted that he report them to the police. However, neither the administrators of Jeer Trust nor the temple committee have made any announcement on this matter.