No evidence of performing two-finger tests on Lord Nataraja temple priests’ minor daughters: NCPCR member

CUDDALORE: National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) member R G Anand on Wednesday said there was no evidence that the banned two-finger test was performed on minor daughters of podhu dikshithars following complaints that they had conducted child marriages.
Podhu dikshithars are the hereditary priests and custodians of Sri Sabanayagar Temple, popularly known as Lord Nataraja Temple, at Chidambaram in Cuddalore district of Tamil Nadu.
Anand was speaking to reporters after holding three rounds of inquiries with the priests, the minor girls and police officials.
However, he said the private parts of the minor girls had been examined. Anand said the minor girls told him that they were pressured by police officials to declare that they were married when they were minors.
Anand said the commission took suo motu cognizance on a report on ‘forced virginity test’ on minor daughters of priests and issued a notice dated May 4 directing the chief secretary to submit an action taken report. He said the chief secretary submitted a report to the commission and the commission decided to hold a detailed inquiry into the issue. He said he would submit his findings to commission chairperson Priyank Kanoongo in two or three days.
The priests have pleaded with the Madras high court and the Supreme Court to take suo motu cognizance and order a judicial inquiry into forced virginity tests on minor girls and their arrest on charges of holding marriages of their minor daughters. Counsel for the priests G Chandrasekhar said he had briefed the NCPCR member on the human rights violations of the dikshithars and their minor daughters in the name of inquiries.