- NET Web Desk
The Tripura Police have refuted the allegations made by atleast four transgender persons, who asserted that personnel from Tripura Police stripped them on Saturday in a bid to prove their gender identity, as informed by a police complaint filed by one of them. Referring the allegations as “baseless”, Tripura Police stated that they were arrested after they failed to give a “satisfactory reply”.
In a statement, the police said they received a complaint on Saturday night that four people in “girl costumes” were demanding money from those passing through the Battala and Melarmath areas of Agartala.
Its worthy to note that one of these 4 transgender persons filed a complaint, and mentioned that these transgenders were also made to write an undertaking that they will never cross-dress and if they are found in such an attire anywhere in the city, they could be arrested. This shameless incident allegedly took place after the four emerged from a party in a hotel on Saturday night.
According to the complaint, which was made available to mediapersons here on Tuesday, stated that a photojournalist was also present with the police when this shameless incident occurred. Besides, the four persons were also charged with extortion and taken to West Agartala women’s police station where they were made to strip by both male and women police officials present.
“In the police station we were asked by the police to open our clothes and disclose our gender. The most embarrassing thing was that the police kept our wigs and inner garments in the police station”, the complaint said and demanded justice.
The complaint said that they were charged with extortion without any proof, which is “a completely false charge”.
The four LGBT community members claimed that their Right to Privacy had been violated as well as those provided by Section 377 of National Legal Services Authority judgement of the Supreme Court. Meanwhile, the complaint further mentioned that concerned photojournalist had followed the four from the hotel and had even tried to touch them. He wanted to dance with them in the hotel and taunted them. “We did not entertain him but he followed us with the police officials and caught hold of us in Melarmath area”, the FIR said.
According to PTI report, no official of the West Agartala Police Station was available for comments on the incident. Besides, a Tripura Police official said a report on the incident has been sought and the guilty will be punished.
“Our junior officers said that they made preventive arrests under section 151 of IPC (assembly of five or more persons likely to cause disturbance of public peace). I’m not sure what grounds they (the LGBT members) were arrested, we are looking into the matter and have sought a report”, he said.
Furthermore, the advocate Nilanjana Roy referred that concerned incident is not only violation of transgender rights but a gross denial of human rights. “Cross dressing cannot be considered a crime and we will fight the case in court to get justice,” she added.
Its worthy to note that the Supreme Court had in its judgment declared transgender people as the ‘third gender’, and affirmed that fundamental rights granted under the Constitution will be equally applicable to them and gave them the right to self-identification of their gender as male, female or the third gender.