Transgender harassed, OC demoted in Kolkata for ‘insensitive handling’ of case

“However, as we alighted at Jatin Das Park station and started walking towards Hajra, three to four of those men attacked me. Somehow, I, along with my friends, escaped and approached the nearest patrolling police jeep. Those men were immediately arrested,” Maitreyi added.

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However, when Maitreyi and her friends went to the Bhowanipur police station to get an FIR lodged, they saw the men were being let off. “When I protested, the police officer said the case falls under Tollygunge police station’s jurisdiction,” she said. When Maitreyi and her friends went to Tollygunge police station, OC Kishore Kumar Sharma initially refused to lodge their complaint.

“The initial reaction was that such incidents are so common that they need not be taken up. They went to the extent of harassing me and her friends, saying that we extort, dance with babies and indulge in all sorts of criminal activities… So, we don’t have any human rights,” said Maitreyi. However, after much protest, her complaint was lodged. Later in protest, a sit-in and a public meeting was held. A complaint petition was also lodged with DC (South) Murlidhar Sharma. “They came to me in December with the complaint… We realised this was a case of blatant insensitivity. We took action within a few days… It is just that Maitreyi was informed about it yesterday,” said Murlidhar Sharma. He added that while the Tollygunge police station OC has been demoted, salaries of two officers have been withheld for three months. Two more have also been suspended and transferred.

“This is a moment of victory for everybody who is oppressed… We succeeded in bringing the errant officer to book only because we didn’t make it only a transgender issue, but also one that concerns the civil society,” said Maitreyi.