In Gujarat, a 21-year-old transwoman was allegedly kidnapped from her home in Malviya Nagar then beaten and forced to strip in public by a group of transgender people for refusing to beg on the streets.
Payal Rathwa, who was working as an artist was subjected to brutal humiliation in public view by a group of eunuchs who stripped her naked on a public road, alleging that she was faking eunuchs and seeking money from people.
On Monday night, the eunuchs forced her to expose her private genitals in public view, thrashed her and recorded a video of the humiliating act.
On February 15, the incident took place in Rajkot. It came into light the next day after the attackers recorded the video of the transwoman stripping and shared it on various social media platforms.
The transwoman said that they mercilessly pulled her hair, kicked her in private parts, called her by names.
She said, “They first beat me up at home, in the autorickshaw again when they took me near the hotel on Gondal Road. They also shot a video of me stripping and as they thrashed me. I didn’t want to beg for money. I have a talent, which is adequate to live a proper life, so I remained away from others.”
Some of the people of the group that assaulted her had left the group and joined the LGBTQ community and were learning Warli art with her. The community also helps the slum-dwellers in the city as social work. The assailants got enraged when they saw more people joining the community.
After assaulting her, the group took her to a police station. The cops did not listen to her. Later, she was dropped home in a PCR van at 2:00 am. After observing the strong connection between assaulters and the police, she was scared for her life and refrained from lodging an FIR.
The survivor detailed the incident to Pune-based LGBTQ activist Damini Sinha later. Sinha said such incidents would increase if they go unchecked.
On Saturday, the transwoman was ready to file a complaint with Sinha’s help. However, before she stepped out of her home, a group of eunuchs knocked on her door. She immediately called the police and kept the door closed, following which the Malviya Nagar police came soon and took her and the eunuchs to the station to lodge the FIR.
The police has assured that the transwoman would be provided security, as she fears the group might attack her again.