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Punjab and Haryana high court asks Ambala police to look into fight between transgenders
A transgender had moved the Punjab and Haryana high court seeking protection of life and liberty, stating that she is living under constant threat after being allegedly threatened by chelas (associates) of mahant Rajkumari Haji, as she continued asking for offerings in the area even after leaving the dera
Latika, 39, an Ambala-based transgender, had filed a plea in the Punjab and Haryana high court seeking protection of life and liberty, stating that she is living under constant threat after being allegedly threatened by chelas (associates) of mahant Rajkumari Haji, as she continued asking for offerings in the area even after leaving the dera.
The petitioner was a former associate of Rajkumari and visited door-to-door in 25 villages and neighbouring localities seeking offerings and giving blessings on special occasions. However, Latika parted ways and the mahant started pressuring her to leave the city.
Petitioner’s advocate Maninderjit Singh on September 28 told the court that his client had been attacked and threatened in the past by fellow transgenders under the mahant, Twinkle and Heena along with a driver, Rehmat Ali, alias Laddu, and a local property dealer, Rahul Singh Walia.
“A representation was given to the SHO, police station, Sector 9, Ambala City, in May 2021, but no steps were taken…In June the petitioner was attacked at the police post No.5, who was saved by the police and was dropped home by them. This incident was brought to the notice of the DGP, Haryana, but to no avail. In September, the said accused came to Latika’s house in her absence and had openly threatened to eliminate her if she doesn’t leave Ambala City. This was brought to the notice of the SSP, Ambala, but no action was taken,” the petition says.
Latika said there were apprehensions that the said people might attack her and asked the court to protect her life and liberty.
On October 1, the court of Justice Deepak Sibal disposed of the petition and directed the SHO of the police station concerned to take action as per law.
Meanwhile, Maninderjit Singh said as per the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019, forcing any transgender to leave household, village or other places of residence was a punishable offence with two years of imprisonment and a fine.
Section 18 of the Act explains that compelling a transgender person to indulge in the act of forced or bonded labour other than any compulsory service for public purposes imposed by the government, denying them the right of passage to a public place or obstructs such person from using or having access to a public place to which other members have access to or a right to use or harming their life, safety, health or well-being, whether mental or physical, tends to do acts, including causing physical, sexual, verbal, emotional and economic abuse, are also punishable offences.
