They allege harassment by city police
The transgenders at the Commissioner's office on Friday. (Photo: DC)
Chennai: Members of the transgender community on Friday knocked on the doors of the City Police Commissioner’s office in Vepery with a petition alleging harassment by police personnel. Around 50 of them arrived at the police chief’s office at 11 am and handed over their petition to Additional DC, Shyamala Devi.
Wishing the new police commissioner T.K. Rajendran on his appointment in their petition, the members hoped that the police chief will give heed to their grievances.
“In the recent past, instances of police harassment on the transgender community have been on the rise. This has depressed us a lot,” the petition read. The transgenders claimed that police threaten them with arrest or file false cases against them.
“Even when we go out with our parents and relatives who have accepted us, they mete out such treatment which affects us adversely. This makes our relatives also apprehensive,” G. Shankari, one of the petitioners said.
According to them, such insensitive action by the cops makes them more vulnerable in a society where they are already marginalised. “Just because some of them are sex workers, it doesn’t mean all of them can be seen with a suspicion. There are men who commit burglaries, murders; even some women do. Do the cops see all men and women with suspicion?” Shankari said, adding that it has become an ordeal to walk the streets post 6 pm due to police harassment.
( Source : deccan chronicle )
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