Even as Kochi’s trans community protests over the arrest four trans persons for alleged sex work, which LGBT activists say are false accusations, one of the arrested trans persons reportedly attempted suicide in the police station late on Friday.
The police said that, Saya (34), a transgender person, attempted suicide by cutting her veins inside a washroom in the police station late on Friday. According to the cops she was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital and is now reportedly out of danger.
Saya is one of the four trans persons who were arrested by the Kochi police on Friday.
The police also said that a case has been registered against Saya for the attempt to suicide under IPC.
Meanwhile tension simmered within the transgender community accusing the police officials of deliberately framing false cases against members in the community. The community also claimed that this comes as part of a greater conspiracy to drive trans persons away from the city.
Plinku Sangeeth, a transgender rights activist said, “The police do not want any transgender people in the city and hence, have been targeting us for a very long period now. In this particular case, they had been visiting the lodge where several of our fellow members are staying at a daily rent of Rs. 400 for the last couple of days. The police even threatened the employees of the lodge for accommodating transgender people,” reports The Hindu.
Meanwhile people also took to social media platforms accusing the officials of their alleged indifference to the transgender community.
Police officials informed the media that they had monitored certain websites which facilitated sex. Following this, the Kochi police said they conducted a raid on Friday, leading to the arrest of 14 persons. Five women, 4 transgender persons, 3 customers and the lodge manager were arrested by the police.
“We have found alcohol from the reception area of the lodge. We have also found a pistol from the arrested persons,” said ACP of Ernakulam, Laljy K, ACP to the media earlier on Friday.