A 24-year-old transgender woman was allegedly kidnapped, assaulted, illegally detained and forcibly shaved by members of her own community on suspicion of belonging to a gharana in Bengaluru.
The incident reportedly took place between October 30 and 31 and the victim was identified as Sukanya, a resident of Roopena Agrahara in Viratanagara under Bommanahalli police station limits.
According to preliminary information, Sukanya was abducted from Krishnarajapuram on October 30 around 3 pm and taken to Roopena Agrahara, where she was allegedly beaten with a wooden stick and ladle throughout the night. The attackers allegedly told her that she must remain in their gharana for life and should not join any other. Her head was then forcibly shaved, allegedly to ‘erase her identity as a woman’, and she was detained until the next day.
After the intervention of Sangama and the Movement for Gender and Sexual Pluralism (MGSP), the police rescued Sukanya and registered a case.
In a joint statement, Sangama and MGSP condemned the incident and
said: “They are providing legal, medical, psychosocial and security support to Sukanya and have urged the police and state authorities to ensure her protection and take swift legal action against those responsible.”
They also appealed to the Ministry of Women and Child Development to work with organizations working for gender and sexual minorities to prevent similar incidents and promote the rights and dignity of transgender people across the state.
Published – 02 Nov 2025 19:58 IST
