Srinagar, Nov 30: Following complaints that the transgender community is being maltreated in Jammu and Kashmir as they are being allegedly refused protection by the police and treatment by the hospitals, the court directed “the authorities should ensure that that no police personnel; doctor or hospital administration denies equal treatment to the transgenders”.
No police personnel, doctor or hospital should deny equal treatment to the transgenders, the J&K High Court directed today.
Following complaints that the transgender community is being maltreated in Jammu and Kashmir as they are being allegedly refused protection by the police and treatment by the hospitals, the court directed “the authorities should ensure that that no police personnel; doctor or hospital administration denies equal treatment to the transgenders”.
“No police personnel, doctor or hospital should deny equal treatment to the transgenders.”
A division bench comprising Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice Sanjeev Kumar, which heard a petition of the transgender community about their inhuman dealing by agencies of the government, said, “It cannot be denied that the matter is extremely serious and rights of persons including the transgenders must be protected.”
They are entitled to the same protection and medical treatment as any other individual, said the bench.
The bench was earlier informed by Additional Advocate General that the authorities in the state of Jammu and Kashmir have taken into consideration copies of the policy decisions about transgenders by other states in the Union of India.
It is mentionable that the copies of the policy decisions were provided by the petitioner trangenders themselves and the government agencies remained inactive in acquiring this vital information.
The state attorney further said that so far as the issue of finalization of policy regarding the upliftment of the transgender community in the state is concerned, the draft policy stands forwarded to the department of Law and Justice and the matter is awaiting their decision.
The court, as a result directed “let this matter receive urgent scrutiny by all the concerned departments of the government and the report in terms of the orders already passed be placed before us before the next date of hearing.”
The case has been listed on December 20, 2018.
