Now Reading: Bengaluru police issue guidelines on harassment by transgender persons
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Bengaluru police issue guidelines on harassment by transgender persons
Bengaluru City Police have issued guidelines to regulate complaints involving transgender persons allegedly harassing the public, obstructing traffic, and aggressively soliciting money at public places. The move follows complaints about incidents at…
Bengaluru City Police have issued guidelines to regulate complaints involving transgender persons allegedly harassing the public, obstructing traffic, and aggressively soliciting money at public places. The move follows complaints about incidents at traffic signals, markets, bus and railway stations, and residential areas.
Police stations have been directed to identify locations with repeated complaints and arrange increased patrolling. Officers must verify each complaint, take legal action, and hold regular meetings with transgender community members to create awareness against unlawful activities. The guidelines stress protecting the legal rights and dignity of transgender persons and prohibit use of derogatory language.
Transwoman and activist Rakshitha Mallikarjuna acknowledged some instances of wrongdoing but said the move could lead to excessive action against an already marginalised community. The public has been advised to contact the 112 emergency helpline to lodge complaints.
Indian Opinion Analysis
The guidelines target behaviour at traffic signals and public spaces, areas where transgender persons often seek alms as a livelihood in the absence of formal employment. India's 2014 Supreme Court judgment in NALSA vs Union of India recognised the right of transgender persons to self-identify and directed reservations in education and jobs, but implementation remains uneven across states. The Karnataka government notified the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Rules in 2021, which prohibit discrimination but do not address solicitation or public order. The police commissioner's directive attempts to balance the Karnataka High Court's 2023 observations on public nuisance with the rights framework. Activists and community leaders have previously argued that policing measures disproportionately target visible poor transgender persons while leaving structural issues unaddressed.
The next step is implementation: the city police's compliance with the directive will be tested in the coming weeks as patrols increase and complaint data is tracked.
Source: thehindu.com
This brief was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
