Karnataka: 15-year-old boy forced to performed forbidden rite to pay his father’s loan

In a horrifying incident, a 15-year-old boy from the Karnataka town of Koppal was forced to execute the forbidden ceremony known as “Bettalu Seve,” in which a naked worship is offered to the god, reported The New Indian Express.

After his father’s failure to pay back the debt he obtained to build the house, the victim was made to undergo the ceremony. Even though the incident occurred in June, it only recently came to light as a result of the teen’s viral video. On Sunday, a FIR was also filed against the accused.

The report claims that the accused loaned some money to the victim’s father and was given a deadline by which to repay the amount. The 15-year-old boy relocated to Hubbali in Karnataka and started working as a daily wage labourer to assist his father in repaying the loan when his father was unable to make payments. However, the boy was allegedly persuaded by the accused to perform Bettalu Seve and was led to believe that it would resolve all of his father’s issues. According to reports, after transporting the boy to a hidden area, the accused forced him to strip and carry out the superstitious rite. Later, the boy relocated to Mangalore and kept working at a commercial building site.

Three months later, the victim’s parents learned about the incident from a viral video and reported it to the Koppal (rural) police station. A specialised police unit was formed to look into the matter.