HC gives protection to NRI transgender 'forcibly' brought here

Coming to the rescue of a US- based NRI transgender, Delhi High Court has provided her police protection after she alleged she was forcibly brought to India by her parents to be reformed and taught to be "a proper girl".

Justice Siddharth Mridul also issued notice to Delhi Police and her parents seeking their reply on her plea seeking protection from harassment, intimidation and coercion by her family.

In her plea, the 18-year old has alleged that her father, an "influential businessman" with "deep roots in Uttar Pradesh", had "activated the state machinery" to deprive her of her "fundamental rights to life, liberty and education" by trying to coerce her to get married to a man of their choice.

She also sought protection for Delhi-based LGBT activists who had helped her reach Delhi, as her parents registered a "false FIR" of kidnapping against them.

After a hearing, the court sought the UP Resident Commissioner's response on the allegations before October 5, the next date of hearing.

The counsel for Delhi Police has also assured the court that "adequate protection" would be provided to her.

The judge directed that the beat constable of the area, where she is staying with some activists, should be sensitised in this regard.

The ordeal started four months ago when the girl had a trivial argument with her mother over her hairstyle. When her mother confiscated her mobile phone, she discovered that her daughter had a girlfriend.

The petition said the parents first indulged in verbal and physical violence to "fix" her. When that did not work, they brought her to India on the pretext of visiting her ailing grandmother on July 24, to return on August 5.

Once here, the parents took away her passport and Green Card and told her that she would stay in India and "learn to be a proper girl", the plea said.

The petition said that in July, the girl, who was studying neurobiology at the University of California, was "forcibly" enrolled at Dayalbagh Educational Institute in Agra and told to "keep her mouth shut" about her gender preference and sexual orientation.

Left with no option, she approached for help from the National Centre for Lesbian Rights in the US which put her in touch with LGBT activists in India.

On September 10, she left the institute in Agra and came to Delhi with the help of activists of an NGO that works for the rights of transgender persons.

The petitioner, who along with her parents had migrated to California when she was three years old, alleged that her parents were trying to coerce her into getting married to a man of their choice.

It also stated that they had registered a false FIR for kidnapping against the activists who helped her reach Delhi.

She alleged that on September 21, UP Police personnel raided the residences of two activists in south Delhi without any search warrants to find her, and also detained an activist for over six hours at Kalkaji police station in south Delhi.

The plea has also sought the release of her travel documents and "safe passage" to the US. She also sought protection for the activists who have helped her.