Rajkot: The police on Monday registered an FIR against six eunuchs and one autorickshaw driver for alleged kidnapping and thrashing of transgender artist Payal Rathwa in Rajkot.
Last week a group of eunuchs had allegedly abducted Rathwa along with his friend and stripped them in public. They had also thrashed them, besides recording their act on a mobile phone. Rathwa, who was traumatised because of the incident, did not come out of her house for three days, before finally approaching the police for help.
In her complaint, Rathwa has also stated that the accused made the video of the incident viral on the social media. Those booked by police include Kapil, the auto-rickshaw driver and members of eunuch community — Bhavikade, Nikitade, Gopide, Anjlide, Pinalde and Mirade allies Fatakdi.
They were booked under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 365 (kidnapping), 452 (house trespass), 323 (punishment for voluntarily causing hurt) and 504 (intentionally insult). The Malaviya Nagar police also booked the seven accused under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and the IT Act.
On Monday, a group of eunuchs who had created ruckus at Malaviya Nagar police station on Saturday while the cops were recording Rathwa’s statement, again approached the police station. They were accompanied by senior members of their community. They also recorded a video inside the police station where the members are heard appealing to people not to show ‘sympathy’ towards Rathwa. They alleged that Rathwa was trying to get undue publicity through social media and she was a fake eunuch.
They also submitted an application requesting the police to withdraw the FIR against them.