(Trigger Warning: Description of physical assault.)
Days after a group of four transpersons were attacked a mob at a Durga Puja event in Tripura, two transgender women were brutally assaulted by men in Tamil Nadu's Thoothukudi district.
The incident, which took place on 7 October, came to light after trans rights activist Grace Banu tweeted videos of the attack on Wednesday, 12 October.
What Happened?
The purported clip of the assault shared by Banu shows two transgender women dressed in sarees lying on the ground in an isolated area with injuries, as a man forcibly chops off the hair of one of them and throws it aside. The men can be heard reciting obscene lyrics and jeering at the women.
As per reports, the video was subsequently shared by the perpetrators in various Whatsapp groups to threaten the trans women.
What Action Has Been Taken Against the Men?
The Tamil Nadu Police on Thursday arrested both men – Yuvan and Vijay – visible in the video.
"We have registered a case against the two persons seen in the video and arrested both of them," Inspector General Tamil Nadu South Zone Asra Garg said.
The alleged perpetrators have been booked under sections 294D (sings, recites or utters any obscene song, ballad or words, in or near any public place), 341 (wrongful restraint), 324 (causing hurt using dangerous weapons), 307 (attempt to murder), and 506 (2) (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code and the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act.
On Tuesday, the South Zone Police had launched an inquiry into the incident and teams of personnel had been immediately dispatched to trace the victims and the accused. “We have identified the persons including the victims in this video and are taking legal action in this regard,” the police had stated on Tuesday.
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