Insulted, Chennai transgender sets herself on fire outside police station

Chennai: A 38-year-old transgender committed self-immolation at the gate of the Pondy Bazaar Police station when she was not allowed to reclaim her impounded moped and abused her during the small hours of Wednesday.

The transgender succumbed to the burns later not responding to the treatment at Kilpauk Medical College Hospital (KMCH). The deceased is identified as Taara (38), resident of Namachivayapuram, Choolaimedu.

Sources said Taara was intercepted on Thirumalai Pillai road around 2 am. The cops took her moped to Pondy Bazaar where she turned up in an inebriated condition seeking her vehicle back nearly two hours later. An altercation broke out between her and the cops. The verbal duel culminated in Taara dousing herself with petrol and setting herself on fire.

Cops rushed to rescue her and doused the fire on her. The services of a 108 ambulance was sought and she was moved to KMCH where she was admitted with 90 pc burns and she succumbed to the burns.

The transgender community began congregating at the KMCH ever since she was admitted, and their activity gained momentum as the news of Taara’s death spread among them. They staged waves of protests inside the hospital and blocked traffic on Poonamallee high road thrice.

Every time the cops had to pacify the protesters and push them into the hospital.
“They snatched her mobile and vehicle and chased her away from Thirumalai Pillai Street. She went back only to get her things. The cops had promptly recorded whatever she spoke and had conveniently ignored their side of the conversation in whatever footage they have.

There was a CCTV installed in a commercial complex opposite the police station and we demanded the footage from that surveillance camera. The cops claimed three hours later that the camera had stopped working since Oct 27. We wonder as to how she managed to buy petrol in a can when the fuel stations in that vicinity were not dispensing petrol.

We suspect foul play,” said a protesting transgender. Vannabhai, mother of the deceased, said that she last spoke to the deceased three days ago and was confident that her child was not doing anything illegal as claimed by the cops. Taara had stopped visiting her parents who live in Saidapet and had settled in Choolaimedu with her friends from her marginalised community.

When contacted, Additional Commissioner of Police (L&O - south) K. Shankar elaborated that the deceased was one among those soliciting customers along Thirumalai Pillai road.

“What we did was legal and we cannot let them solicit customers and indulge in petty crimes, which are the two things they take to in specific locations in the City. The confiscation of an abandoned vehicle is also legal. She demanded her vehicle back and a woman constable on duty advicsd her to come back when she sobered up later at around 8 am and collect the vehicle from the Inspector. Unfortunately, the transgender took the drastic step,” he said.