Kochi: A day after Onmanorama published a story on the plight of transgenders in Kerala and a goon's repeated threats to the community in Kochi, police swung into action on Thursday and arrested one person for assaulting a transwoman.
Badusha, a native of Chakkarapparambu, Kochi, was arrested from his home town at 2.30pm on Thursday. Thara Prasad, a transwoman from Kochi, had filed a complaint against Badusha at Palarivattom police station on June 28 for assaulting her and others several times. The complaint was later transferred to Kalamassery station.
Onmanorama had reported on Wednesday about the inaction by Kochi police in cases where transgenders are the victims. The report highlighted that three trangenders were murdered in three different spots in Kerala in similar pattern in the past seven years but the cops had not taken any action. The report said the police were not even aware that there is an eerie similarity in these transgender murders.
Badusha had been allegedly following the complainant, Thara Pradsad, and her friends for months. “Transgenders in Kochi are often subjected to physical attacks by anti-socials who burn their hair, jab their faces using knives and strip them on roads,” Thara Prasad stated in her complaint.
Soon after the Onmanorama report, Thara said, she received a call from Ernakulam district collector's office, promising immediate action on her complaint. She was summoned to the Kalamassery police station and her statement was recorded.
Kalamassery police searched Badusha's Chakkarapparambu residence on Thursday morning and questioned his family. Hearing about the raid, Badusha called the cops and promised to surrender at the station before 12 noon. As he failed to keep the word, the cops carried out a search in his village and arrested him.
A nightmare for transgenders
The transgender community in Kochi came in contact with Badusha as the partner of a transwoman.
According to sources, Badusha assaulted his partner and forced her into sex trade. Sources in the community claimed he took all money she earned and spent it on alcohol and drugs. Soon, Badusha's partner left him. This angered him and he started targeting the trans-community in Kochi, sources said.
According to Thara's complaint, he chased transgenders on his bike, assaulted them and dragged them through roads. A fortnight after Thara filed a complaint at the circle inspector's office and the collectorate, Badusha allegedly burnt a trans-woman's hair and threatened to cut the braid of another trans-woman.
According to Kalamassery police, Badusha claimed that the trans-people were ganging up with his enemies to take revenge on him.
“There was a time when Badusha was a saviour to Kochi's trans-community. They used to call me even during the wee hours to save them from other attackers. Now they are taking revenge on me,” Badusha told the police. However, police said, he admitted that he assaulted Thara under the influence of alcohol.
Badusha has been charged under Sections 341 (wrongful confinement), 323 and 324 (voluntarily causing hurt with weapons) of IPC. The accused has been granted bail.
Victims still worried
Though the trans-community of Kochi expressed their satisfaction over the quick police action over Thara's complaint, they are still scared of Badusha as they fear that he would take revenge on them again.
“There should be a comprehensive solution for this problem. Just one or two arrests wouldn't solve our problem. I fear that he will take revenge on me as he is out on bail,” Thara said.
There has also been no progress in the investigation into the the murders of Shalu, Gauri and Sweet Maria, who were killed in similar pattern in different districts in Kerala.
Thara Prasad has been invited to attend a meeting at the district collector's chamber on Monday to discuss about the possible solutions for their problem and the safety measures that need to be taken.
