FIR against some third gender members for thrashing 3 transwomen and chopping off their hair

Indore, Feb 5 (PTI) Police have registered a case against some unidentified persons from the third gender for allegedly publicly beating three transwomen in Indore and chopping off their hair by questioning their real gender identity, an official said on Wednesday.

A transgender woman is someone who is born with the biological traits of a male but identifies and lives as a woman.

“A group of people from the third gender beat up three transwomen aged between 19 and 22 years in the Rajbada area of the city on January 25, when they had gone there for shopping,” the official said.

Quoting the FIR, he said that the group objected to the transwomen dressing up like women, and asked them whether they were real transgenders or fake.

The accused also tried to remove the clothes of the three transwomen and cut off their long hair while assaulting them, he said.

An FIR was registered at the M G Road police station under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and efforts are being made to identify the accused.

Nikunj, a member of the District Transgender Welfare Board, told PTI, “This incident with the three transwomen of the city was carried out by those people of the third gender who live in women’s attire and traditionally make a living by seeking alms from people.”

This is not the first such incident, and the police administration should take strict action against those involved in these incidents, Nikunj said.

In order to stop such incidents, an awareness campaign will be launched among the people of the third gender community and the Guru (head) of their camp will be talked to, Suchita Tirkey Beck, Joint Director of the state’s Social Justice Department said.

Transgender community activist Sandhya Ghavri said, “Society has changed. Many youths of the transgender community no longer make a living by seeking alms. They want to study and stand on their own feet.”

She said that no one can force a transwoman to live in the traditional camps of the third gender people and beg for money from them.