Source: The Boston Globe

On January 15, 2003 The Boston Globe reported that "although both Sejal and Mahendra Sagar remained practicing Hindus [after their divorce], they disagreed on one religious ceremony performed on young children: Chudakarana, a ritual where the child's head is shaved and locks of hair are offered as a sacrifice... The father, Mahendra Sagar, asked a judge for permission to perform the ritual. Middlesex Probate and Family Court Judge Spencer Kagan ruled that the ceremony should wait, and the young girl should eventually decide whether she wanted to take part. Yesterday, the state Appeals Court upheld the decision, ruling that the father's right to freedom of religion had not been violated."