DAV rape: Victim's parents visit Chilkur Balaji temple in Hyderabad

Hyderabad: The parents of the four-year-old DAV student who was raped by the school principal's driver visited the Chilkur Balaji temple on Saturday and performed one "mahapradakshina" along with the temple priest.

C.S. Rangarajan, a priest at Chilkur Balaji temple, said those who treat women as objects of entertainment should be labelled "Rapasura" and hacked or hanged. He claimed that even the most compassionate people agree with him.

He comforted the parents and assured them that the Almighty would punish the guilty very soon. Jatayu Raksha threads were tied around their wrists to provide protection and courage as they face the trauma.

Meanwhile, the mahapradakshina, a response marking the society's resentment against rapes, was performed around the temple complex.

Rangarajan said he lacked the words to comfort the family. "We need a society where every citizen takes on the role of Jatayu in the Ramayana, who fought valiantly against Ravana to save Sita," he told reporters here.

He added, "We have several laws in place to protect women, but they cannot protect women from perverts on their own. We must teach our children to be saviours, not demons."

He said the Chilkur Balaji temple has been organising various programmes such as Kanya Vandanam in which young girls' feet are smeared with turmeric in reverence and Raksha Bandhan to teach the boys respect for girls.

"Child safety guidelines in schools are needed to protect children from such perpetrators," Rangarajan added.