Cop's sex change: Home dept sits on Salve's leave sanction
The state's law and judiciary department has advised the home department to treat the Salve's case with empathy.
Mumbai: The home department is still pondering on Beed constable Lalita Salve’s request for a Gender-Reassignment Surgery (GRS) from female to male. However, the delay in the process of getting written permission to go on leave for the operation, is wrought with anxiety for Salve. Speaking to The Asian Age, the female constable said she was ready to go on a leave without pay if the leave sanction gets delayed. She is intent on the operation but “cannot afford to leave her job ” because of her financial status.
The state’s law and judiciary department has advised the home department to treat the Salve’s case with empathy. It wants the home department to grant her all benefits due to a regular employee of the police department. Salve had sought the department’s permission to get a GRS done, according to sources.
While talking to this paper, Salve said, “I am thankful to your newspaper for listening to my plea and it is good news that my plea will be considered with the home department.” She added, “I have not got any thing in writing yet. If I get it, I will go on leave without a second thought.” She elaborated, saying, “ “I have not received any kind of green signal from my department on this. If my treatment needs more time then I won’t mind going for Leave Without Pay (LWP).”
The constable has undergone a complete check up at the state-run J. J. hospital, where medicos have given her the green signal to go ahead with the GRS, from female to male. Last year in November, she had moved the Bombay High Court seeking a direction to the Maharashtra DGP to grant her leave to undergo GRS.
Salve had sought leave from the Beed police to go on leave for a month to undergo the operation. However, the Beed DGP had turned down her appeal.