BENGALURU: The Pulikeshinagar police on Monday evening arrested the prime accused transgender, Anandi, 35, and her two aides Shreya, 30 and Aishu, 20 for allegedly kidnapping and mutilating the genitals of an 18-year-old in the city. The three accused are residents Of Cox Town.
The police said that the victim was very close and shared bond with Shreya who was his childhood friend. Earlier, the police had arrested a 62-year-old priest, who is the co-accused. Tulasiappan, a resident of Puliksehsinagar, was arrested by a special team near Cole’s Park near Bharthi Nagar police station.
Tulasiappan, a priest at the Mariamma temple, had built the temple and stayed there. Investigations revealed that the victim, Subhash (name changed), visited the temple regularly. Tulasiappan who befriended the victim around two years ago allegedly brainwashed him and convinced him to become a transgender.
He played the role of a middleman and helped the prime suspect Anandi, a transgender, to help the gang in abducting Subhash and later carrying out the genital mutilation.
“Tulasiappan is one of the accused in the case. He met the victim at his temple during one of his visits and is accused of influencing and convincing the victim to become a transgender. Though the accused have maintained that they didn’t force the victim, the complainant in his statement has told the police that he was abducted, forcibly kept under house arrest for 11 days before carrying out genital mutilation. Based on his statement, we arrested Tulasiappan on Monday morning. Tulasiappan is a man, but dresses like a woman,” a police officer said.
“This is Tulasiappan’s first offence. So far, we have not come across his involvement in any other case. Tulasiappan told us that he didn’t force Subhash and the victim agreed to go with him of his own consent,” the officer said.
