Tamil Nadu: NCPCR Asks Chief Secretary To Probe Governor Ravi's Expose On Forced 'Virginity Test' By Officials On Underage Girls From Dikshitar Families In Chidambaram

The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has taken suo moto cognisance of Governor RN Ravi's remarks in an interview with the Times of India that minor girls belonging to Podhu Dikshitar families of Chidambaram were made to undergo the 'two-finger' test after the emergence of allegations of child marriage.

Three Dikshitars were arrested by the police in October 2022.

The Podhu Dikshitar families are hereditary priests of the Nataraja temple in Chidambaram. The temple is not under the control of the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HRCE) department.

In the interview, when asked about why he skipped the part on 'excellent management of temples' in his address to the Assembly, Governor Ravi said, "Out of vengeance, government officers of social welfare department lodged eight complaints of child marriage against the podhu dikshithars, that they were marrying their children underage, whereas there were no such marriages.

"I wrote a letter to the chief minister, asking what is this? Now, against the backdrop of all that is happening, you want me to praise the government. Isn’t that too much?"

Priyank Kanoongo, who leads the commission, has instructed the Chief Secretary to conduct an inquiry while ensuring the protection of the victims' identities. The Chief Secretary has been asked to provide a report on the action taken, along with relevant documents, including a copy of the FIR filed by the Social Welfare Department regarding complaints of child marriages, details on the action taken against the accused, the current status of the parents' arrests and any legal action being pursued, and information on producing the minor children before the medical officer.

In this test, two fingers are inserted into the vagina by a medical professional to ‘test the laxity of the vagina’ and determine if the hymen is ruptured.

The Supreme Court in 2013 called the test an invasion of privacy and the Health Ministry's guidelines say that the test should not be conducted.