Kiran Vayalassery had to take the train at 6 am on Saturday but he could not leave his house near Farook College in Kozhikode. His brother Jayarajan who lives next door has allegedly locked the gate leading outdoors. Kiran, a trans man who has built a shelter home for trans people, and Rema, a government employee staying in one of Kiran's flats, have been locked in the pathway leading from the house to the gate since morning.
“I called everyone – the police, activists. Nobody could help. The police had come but they said they can’t do anything. I have a court order – an injunction saying this pathway cannot be locked like this. We had to go to court when this was repeatedly happening for a while. My brother does not like the idea of the transgender shelter,” says Kiran, who is still trapped on the pathway at the time this is written.
Kiran, a trans man who gave up his house for building a govt shelter for trans people, is locked in the pathway leading from his house to the gate. Allegedly by his own brother, who didnt like the idea of the trans shelter.https://t.co/aq0LJLjJJ1 pic.twitter.com/zmHUAHPFGV
— Cris (@cristweets) November 23, 2019
The injunction order from the Kozhikode Municipal court says, “Interim injunction is granted whereby respondent (Jayarajan) is restrained in disturbing peaceful use and possession of petitioner/plaintiff (Kiran) over B schedule pathway until further orders.”
The Farook police, on a call to TNM, claims that Kiran is refusing to go out through another way that is available. “They are insisting on using this pathway that is through the brother’s house,” the SI says. The policeman adds, “There are three cases registered between the brothers already.”
But the alternative path that the policeman suggested is through the back and it is full of weeds, Kiran says. “From my childhood, we have never used that path. It has always been through this front gate. What if we use the other way and get bitten by a snake, going through all the weeds? The front gate has been recently installed by my brother just to block our way,” Kiran adds.
Kiran is an assistant soil chemist working in Thikkodi District Soil Test Lab and had to go to Thrissur on Saturday morning for official reasons. “Rema too had to go out. I had spent money to build a shelter home for trans people above my house, after talking to the Social Justice Department so it could be used as a government-run shelter. I was waiting for the inauguration of the government shelter when my brother first created a block by building a fence, and now the gate (after removing the fence),” Kiran says.
News of Kiran’s brother building a fence on the pathway came some time ago. Another time, model Jomol Joseph was allegedly attacked at a time she was pregnant, when she was visiting the shelter.