“The holy ritual was a sin-free ritual. As part of it Vastu Suddhi (and) Kumbhajala Samprokshana were carried out by the ritwiks (priests),” Rao was quoted as saying in a press release.

The Supreme Court is set to hear pleas challenging the legality of the marital rape exception in Indian law, which currently exempts husbands from prosecution for raping their adult wives.

Health Ministry spokesperson Manisha Verma confirmed the strain after news agency ANI cited official sources as saying that the mpox case reported in the Malappuram district of Kerala last week belonged to clade 1.