Sexual violence against transgenders: SC notice to Centre on plea for changes in law
“This is a good petition,” Chief Justice of India S A Bobde remarked as the plea by Advocate Reepak Kansal came up before the three-judge bench.
The apex court had also ordered allocation of five-acre land at another site in Ayodhya for building a mosque.
The Supreme Court on Monday issued notice to the Centre on a plea seeking changes in the criminal law to protect transgender people from sexual violence.
“This is a good petition,” Chief Justice of India S A Bobde remarked as the plea by Advocate Reepak Kansal came up before the three-judge bench.
The petition cited the absence of any provision in the Indian Penal Code that deals with sexual assault by any male, female or transgender on a transgender. It said that Section 354 of the IPC dealing with offence of sexual assault does not extend to transgenders.
“The Indian laws are for men and women and therefore, considering transgender…they generally could not get justice from the authorities due to lack of law/Act. The third gender… are being deprived of many of the rights and privileges which other persons enjoy as citizens of this country. The State cannot discriminate them on the ground of gender, violating Articles 14 to 16 and 21 of the Constitution of India,” the petition contended.
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