Police department throws case of Lalita Salve into state govt’s court

The senior official from Home Department of the state government confirmed the police department has sent a proposal urging to take the final decision on the case of sex change of police constable Lalita Salve. He said the government will take an ‘appropriate’ decision very soon. However, he did not specify the time frame required.

Lalita Salve (29), constable from Beed district in September had applied police department to allow her sex change operation and re-induction as male constable in service. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has instructed Satish Mathur, director general (DG) of police to review Salve’s urge, which was earlier rejected by DG office.

In a recent move, the police department has submitted its report to the additional chief secretary (home) to state their decision. The official from home department said the police department has requested to draft a policy to ensure such cases can be handled by the policy in future.

The official clarified it will not be policy decision as there are no more such request received to the home department. “Salve is the only case which came to the department for the consideration. No such cases have been received earlier and there is no possibilities in future,” said the official and added hence, no need to take policy decision. “We will consider it as single case and very soon the final decision will be taken,” the official said.

In its report, the state police has affixed the medical reports of JJ hospital, which has said “Salve has male genitals but was reared as a female”. The report has also indicated “even if Salve is allowed the sex-reassignment surgery, the constable will fail criteria such as height, which is a mandatory field to clear for male aspirants while being selected into the force”

Meanwhile, the JJ hospital reports clearly stated the Salve has male genitals but was raised as female child. She had identified as female at the time of selection in police department in 2010 and had been selected under quota reserved for women.

The official said, “If sex change operation happens, Salve’s selection from women quota will automatically be cancelled. She will have to go through selection process from the beginning as the criteria for male and women are different.” He further said, if state will consider the case on humanity ground, she can continue the service as male constable without following any new selection process.

The police department has sent a proposal urging the home department of the state government to take the final decision on the case of sex change of police constable Lalita Salve. A senior official from the home department said the government will take an ‘appropriate’ decision very soon