3 ‘transgenders’ held for murder

Three alleged transgenders were arrested after they, in a fit of rage, killed a man who they claimed had molested one of them outside Churchgate railway station on January 4. The entire incident, of the trio kicking and punching the man which the police said ultimately led to his death, has been captured on CCTV surveillance of the railways.

The Azad Maidan police said they are yet to ascertain if the accused are transgenders or eunuchs. They are identified as Payal alias Lucky Sagar Verma (27), Samira alias Suman Vinay Singh (27) and Kanhaiya alias Komal Dhanshyam Choudhary (20). All the accused belong to a slum pocket in Mahim.

The police said they strongly suspect the accused to be soliciting on the streets of Churchgate. The alleged transgenders apparently had no idea that the man had died and went back to the spot on Thursday night where they were nabbed.

Around 11.30 pm, the accused were standing on the Maharashi Karve road outside Churchgate station near the Western Railway headquarters as usual. The deceased Manda Rajumani Kale (30), allegedly under the influence of alcohol, approached one of them, passed lewd comments and touched her inappropriately.

In a fit of rage, all three of them started hitting and kicking Kale. The CCTV camera footage clearly showed the trio assaulting him with one of them kicking him slightly above his genitals. Kale suffered unbearable abdominal pain below his stomach but somehow managed to walk off to his shanty on a footpath outside Cross Maidan near where he was assaulted.

His brother took him to St. George Hospital where he was treated and discharged next day. But on the same day he experienced pain again and was taken to GT Hospital where he died on Friday morning.

The Azad Maidan police had registered an FIR under section 325 (Punishment for voluntarily causing grievous hurt.) and 34 (common intention) of IPC. “We have now added murder section under 302 of IPC. We have received the accused’s custody from a magistrate’s court,” said police inspector, crime, Subhash Borat who holds additional charge of senior inspector.