Prithika, 1st transgender SI, takes charge in city station

After joining duty, SI Prithika told the media that she would help the poor to get justice. “It was my dream to join the force. I thank all the higher officials for posting me in Chennai. I will do my duty in an unbiased way. My duty is to book the violators, even if they are transgenders,” said Prithika, who joined the city police force along with 243 other sub inspectors. 

Prithika, born in 1990 in Salem, as a son of an auto driver P Kalaiarasan and Sumathi, was named as Pradeep Kumar, who later changed her name as Prithika Yashini after a sex change operation performed with the help of her community people in Chennai. Prithika came to the limelight because of her decision to join the police force as sub-inspector. As she faced difficulties at every stage of the selection procedure, the Madras High Court intervened and helped her join the force. 

Even as the police department celebrated the induction of K Prithika Yashini, the first transgender sub inspector into the law and order wing of the Choolaimedu police station in Chennai, DT Next tracked down three other transgender police personnel working in the state police. Two constables are working in Chennai city control room, while the other in Thanjavur. 

“Jasmine (names changed) and Dharma are working like any other police personnel and going home after their shifts,” Chennai city call centre sources said. Bhagya was in Chennai till recently, but opted to go to Thanjavur, police said. 

All the three were recruited in the year 2013 and were attached to the armed reserve unit of Chennai police. Only after recruiting, we noticed their sexual orientation. There were some legal issues, but after they produced medical certificates, they were allowed to continue in AR for some time and later posted to control room/call centre of the Chennai police, a place where they could feel at home, a senior police official said. 

While Jasmine sports long hair and uses women’s rest room, Dharma has short hair and still comfortable with using men’s rest room. 

“Otherwise they are like any one of us,” said a woman constable attached to the city police call centre.