In perhaps a first-of-its-kind development in Indian police forces, a lady constable from the Beed district of Maharashtra on Thursday moved the Bombay High Court seeking to undergo a sex change operation and remain part of the force.
29-year-old Lalita Kumar Salve is now based in Majalgaon in Beed district in the Marathwada region.
"I have the full support of my parents," Salve told reporters outside the Bombay High Court.
Meanwhile, reports said that Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has asked the top brass to allow her to undergo sex change.
Earlier, her application for sex reassignment surgery had come before Maharahstra Director General of Police Satish Mathur, Inspector General of Police (Aurangabad Range) Milind Bharambe and Superintendent of Police (Beed) G Sreedhar but was rejected.
"I asked the DGP (Satish Mathur) on Wednesday to approve the constable's request for undergoing the surgery. There are some technical and legal issues, but I'm confident that these would be resolved, and Salve would have her wish fulfilled," Fadnavis was quoted saying.
The petition filed by Salve in the high court says, "She was female. He/she has developed transsexual gender symptom in last 2-3 years ago. She started getting attracted to members of the same gender due to chromosomal Y status found in her genes. In the absence of due medical care, she continued to live under serious mental trauma and under social stigma," the petition said.
The petition also pointed out that she has undergone a psychiatrist test in Sir J J Hospital regarding her mental status and sexual problems.
After medical tests, the doctors found that she is suffering from gender dysphoria type abnormality (uniqueness) and needed surgery.
In the petition, Salve also referred to Article 16 of Constitution, which deals with "equality of opportunity in matters of public employment".
The petition said it is Salve's natural right to undergo surgery, considering the fundamental right that the Constitution allows her to live with dignity.
The petitioner is fit to undergo the physical and mental test required for the males constables, the petition said.
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