ALAPPUZHA: The High Court on Tuesday ruled against performing Chooral Muriyal at Chettikulangara temple here on Thursday. It posted the case for hearing after three weeks as the temple authorities sought time to furnish “more information”. The temple also gave an undertaking not to conduct the ritual this year. The court held that if anybody defies its order, the offence would be non-bailable. The HC had heard the matter four times in a week through two separate petitions.
On February 12 while disposing of a petition filed by Sreedevi Vilasam Hindumatha Convention, a devotee outfit, the court had asked the authorities to penalise those who perform the ritual. In two days, a few parents challenged the ban saying they were devoting their children at will and it had caused no harm.
But the court examined videos submitted by Kerala State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (KeSCPCR) and upheld its 2016 ban. But they continued preparing 24 kids for the 250-year-old regressive ritual following vratha (vow) and all other customs as part of Kuttiyottam. S. Surendran, district police chief, has issued notices to them. "We are waiting for the order from the court to act," he said.
