Woman cop approaches court after senior denies permission to undergo sex change surgery

MUMBAI: A woman police constable in Maharashtra has approached the Bombay High Court seeking direction to the state DGP to grant her leave as she plans to undergo a sex change surgery.

The incident is of Beed district of the state.

Woman constable Lalita Kumari Salve, 28, who now prefers to be called Lalit, had sought a month's leave to undergo sex reassignment surgery but the same was refused following which she petitioned the HC.

She had joined the Maharashtra Police in May 2010, and is currently serving in Majalgaon City police station in Beed district.

Salve's lawyer Ejaz Naqvi today mentioned the petition before a division bench headed by Chief Justice Manjula Chellur, who said the plea would have to be heard by the appropriate bench.
Naqvi said he would mention the petition before a division bench headed by Justice S M Kemkar on Friday.

As per the petition, Salve, born in June 1988, noticed changes in her body three years ago and underwent medical tests wherein it was found that the presence of Y chromosome was more.

"The petitioner later undertook counselling sessions with psychiatrists at the state-run J J Hospital. The doctors found that she had gender dysphoria abnormality and advised her to undergo sex reassignment surgery if she was willing to and was of sound mind," the petition said.

Salve approached her senior police officials about the same and sought a month's medical leave to undergo the sex change surgery.

"Last week, the superintendent of police of Beed district informed the petitioner that she cannot undergo sex reassignment surgery and refused to grant her leave," the petition said.

The said decision was violative of the petitioner's fundamental rights, it alleged.

Meanwhile, reacting to the petition filed by the woman police constable, the Maharashtra government said it had decided to permit her to undergo a sex-change operation and continue in the state police as a 'policeman''.

"Yes, I have requested Director General of Police (Satish Mathur) to consider her case favourably," Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said.