Transperson in Silchar abducted, physically tortured, threatened for 3 days; FIR filed against perpetrator

In a case of abduction and physical torture, a transwoman in Silchar had to face continuous physical and mental harassment for more than two days. The victim happens to be Shilpa Das who was forcefully abducted from the Silchar Railway Station on August 9 at around 7:30 pm. Shilpa was then taken to a house situated in the Angarjuar area in Rongpur, Silchar, where she was beaten, physically tortured, stripped naked and threatened with life. Also, all the jewels she was carrying as well as Rs 30,000 in cash were forcefully taken from Shilpa.

In this connection, an FIR has been filed against a certain Nandini Saha at the Silchar police station by Anjana Sarkar Hizra. Demanding justice from the law, Anjana said, “Shilpa was forcefully taken from the Silchar Railway Station and kept under house arrest at a house in Angarjuar area in Rongpur. For almost 3 days, she was tortured, abused, threatened, stripped naked and her video was shot to blackmail her into further abuse. She tried contacting a few of us, but the abusers kept claiming that she’s doing fine and working as usual. Finally, somehow she got out and then we all came to know everything. Just because we are hijra (transgender), that doesn’t give anyone any right to treat us so horribly. The law has provided us rights too and we demand justice before the law in this case.”

A group of transpeople gathered in front of the Silchar Sadar police station today when the FIR was being filed. They protested and sloganeered in front of the station in solidarity with the victim. According to the victim herself, apart from snatching her jewellery like earrings, cash money and all, she was also threatened to take away to Bangladesh to surgically change her gender forcefully and got beaten with a lathi. All of this happened while the victim was kept locked inside a house in Silchar for almost 3 days while she kept crying for help.

The Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill prohibits discrimination against transgender persons concerning things like education, employment and the ability to rent or buy property. It also gives transgender persons a “right to self-perceived identity” — but requires them to register with the government if they want to be officially recognized as “transgender.” Transgender individuals in India often face stigma and systematic exclusion in education and employment. As a result, some feel they have no alternative but to turn to sex work. Trans individuals also face disproportionate public violence and police brutalities.