Justice Denied: Alleged Police Inaction Following the Death of a Transgender Individual in Delhi

New Delhi- In Sultanpuri, Delhi, a transgender man involved in a relationship with a woman attempted suicide on April 11th by jumping into a nearby drain, reportedly due to mental distress triggered by his partner's suspected affair.

The trans person, whose name is said to be Afsana, used to work as a hairdresser in a local salon. His friend Kartik told the local media that they had talked just a day before the suicide, asking him to meet up.

“I assumed he was calling me because of a fight between him and his partner,” stated Kartik.

The friend continued, “He was beaten up by his partner and the person he was having an affair with, but things had been sorted out.”

After learning about the suicide through another friend of theirs, Kartik then collected all the people they knew and reached Sultanpuri, where he and his partner named Chanchal used to live together in a rented apartment.

The deceased's parents stated that they went to the police station on the night of the incident and again the next morning. On both occasions, they were dismissed, and no complaint was filed.

Afsana and Chanchal were in a relationship for 8 years and have been legally married for three. Their marriage was registered in court, as per locals.

According to the mother of the deceased, the body had multiple injury marks, including a black eye, which points towards physical assault.

With a trembling voice, she said, “I had warned him before, but he did not pay any heed to my words.”

Afsana’s sister alleged that the recent violence had pushed him to take the dire step.

The sister recounted the chilling incident, describing how when locals informed the family that Afsana had jumped into a drain, they rushed to the scene. His father bravely leaped in to rescue him, while nearby women joined together to tie their dupattas into a makeshift rope, attempting to provide support, but unfortunately, their efforts were unsuccessful.

The Mooknayak attempted to reach out to Sultanpuri Police Station to inquire why an FIR was not lodged despite the family's complaint, but their call went unanswered.

Afsana's tragic fate is not an isolated incident, and regrettably, she won't be the last victim. Many transgender individuals have been lost to violence and discrimination. Unfortunately, a significant hurdle our nation faces is the absence of real-time data on sexual minorities, including transgender individuals.

This lack of timely information makes it challenging to accurately gauge the extent of the violence, discrimination, and other hardships they endure. Without dependable data, policymakers, advocacy groups, and society as a whole struggle to devise targeted interventions, policies, and support structures to effectively address the unique needs and concerns of the transgender community.

The transgender portal and census data serve as the only official records of trans lives, yet activists and legal experts highlight the absence of a clear mechanism to document transgender deaths.

The lack of identity documentation, along with systemic biases and stigma, poses significant barriers to acknowledging and recording transgender deaths, whether from natural causes, suicides, or violent crimes. In India, births and deaths are recorded under the Births and Deaths Act of 1969.

According to a Behenbox report, transgender individuals in India continue to face significant levels of violence and oppression from various sources, including their families, partners, those involved in sex work networks, and community leaders.

Many have mysteriously disappeared, particularly when returning to their families for property settlements, and tragically become victims of suicide or violent murders.

However, the exact number of these deaths and disappearances remains unknown. This lack of clarity may stem from transgender individuals not having any official state-registered identity.

Their Aadhaar cards, the national digital identity, and other records may still use their previous names, adding to the challenge of accurately documenting their experiences.