CHENNAI: A Tamil Nadu-based trans person and Dalit rights activist Grace Banu has contested the summons issued by Lucknow’s Talkatora Police Station in an assault and robbery case by a Uttar Pradesh-based trans person and activist.
Calling the allegations against her "baseless", Grace Banu sought exemption from in-person appearance due to financial and logistical barriers.
The summons dated April 22 directed Banu to appear before investigators in connection with an FIR. The case involved accusations of assault and robbery filed by Lucknow resident Devika Devendra S Mangalamukhi, who is a noted writer, trans person and women’s rights activist.
The notice, citing Section 35 (3) of the BNSS, warned of potential arrest if Banu fails to comply within seven days. In a detailed response, Banu, a Thoothukudi native, denied all charges, asserting she had never visited Lucknow or interacted with the complainant.
Highlighting an alibi, she stated that she was in Chennai on the date of the alleged incident and offered documentary and witness evidence to support her claim.
“As a trans person from a marginalized community, I lack the financial means to travel 2,000 kilometers to Lucknow,” Banu wrote, requesting her statement be recorded via video conferencing instead.
Citing her 15-year advocacy work for transgender and Dalit communities, she stressed her commitment to cooperating with the investigation remotely.
Earlier newspaper reports suggested that Devika filed a complaint after she was called out for allegedly harassing activists fighting for horizontal reservation for trans persons in public education and employment.
The tussle between trans activists fighting for horizontal reservation and those fighting for vertical reservation became public when the National Commission for Scheduled Castes took note of a caste atrocity complaint against Devika, an upper-caste transgender.
It was alleged that Devika supports vertical reservation and harasses those who voice out for horizontal reservation. Devika had denied the allegation.