New Delhi, Sept. 26: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has directed Chennai police to register criminal cases against those who forced around 20 children to pierce their cheeks with two-metre-long steel rods as part of a ritual for the speedy recovery of then Tamil Nadu chief minister Jayalalithaa.

The NHRC has asked the additional commissioner of police, law and order, north Chennai, to book the accused under charges that include IPC Section 326, which deals with causing grievous injuries and entails life imprisonment.

The officer has also been asked to inform the NHRC within four weeks about the disciplinary action taken against those police officers who had admitted to being present when the children were made to go through the ritual and not doing anything to stop the criminal act.

The NHRC has also issued a notice to the Tamil Nadu home department principal secretary to submit a report within four weeks on the steps taken to stop such rituals.

The NHRC gave the directions after the commissioner of police of Greater Chennai confirmed that such an incident had happened on October 3, 2016, when Jayalalithaa was in hospital.

As part of the ritual, the children were made to walk from Murugan temple, RK Nagar, to Seniamman temple in Manikondu by AIADMK supporters.

The NHRC, acting on a complaint, had sought a report from the authorities concerned on November 7 last year.

The rights panel had observed that from the material available on record, including photographs, it was apparent that the children were "very small and innocent" and that they were forced to pierce their cheeks.

A photograph showed children wearing a cap with a picture of Jayalalithaa and the slogan "Long live Amma". Another picture showed some persons catching a girl to force her to pierce her cheeks. The NHRC observed that it was a clear case of violation of the human rights of children.

The police commissioner of Greater Chennai said in his report that the children participated in the event with the approval of their parents and were not forced to pierce their cheeks. However, the officer conceded a gross violation of child rights and that the police personnel who provided security at the event had been warned. He assured that if such an incident is reported in the future, action would be taken.

The NHRC said it failed to understand how the consent of the parents, or that of the children, for the ritual could justify the criminal act of piercing kids' cheeks with two-metre-long steel rods.

"Admittedly, the police officers present at the site of the incident did nothing to stop it. Therefore, a simple warning to the erring police personnel is abysmal considering the gravity of the incident," the NHRC noted.