Members of the Hindu transgender community in Indore’s Nandlalpura area have accused some Muslim transgender individuals of forcibly converting them to Islam and deliberately infecting them with HIV through contaminated syringes.
Sakina Guru, a Hindu transgender leader, identified Seema Haji (also known as Farzana) and Payal (alias Naeem Ansari) from Malegaon as the main figures leading this aggressive conversion campaign.
In response to the allegations, Indore Police has set up a Special Investigation Team (SIT). According to Sakina, those who refused to convert were injected with HIV-contaminated syringes, resulting in about 60 people falling ill, with 12 admitted to the ART Centre at MY Hospital. She also stated that many community members have either fled or joined the alleged perpetrators out of fear.
Sakina revealed that Payal left his family in Malegaon in 2000, moved to Indore, and began pressuring transgender individuals to convert to Islam. She recounted being coerced by Seema to perform the Hajj pilgrimage, after which she started her own organisation upon realising their true intentions. However, Seema continued to pressure Hindu members and brought more Muslim transgender people from Maharashtra to Indore.
Sakina’s lawyer said legal complaints have been filed with the Police Commissioner, PMO, CMO, Chief Justice of India, and other senior officials. Supporting evidence, including videos, claims that around 100 affected individuals live in Indore without proper medical care, referring to the situation as a “Kinnar Jihad.”
The tensions have led to repeated conflicts between the two groups, with complaints lodged at police stations in Chandan Nagar and Vijay Nagar. Last month, disturbances at the Pandrinath police station resulted in the transfer of the station-in-charge.
Following a protest at Pandrinath police station, Sakina raised concerns with Collector Ashish Singh. The case was handed over to SDM Nidhi Verma. Police Commissioner Santosh Kumar Singh formed the SIT, led by DCP Rishikesh Meena and other senior officers, after protests and a suicide threat from Sakina’s group over alleged police inaction. Authorities have labelled the investigation highly sensitive due to its implications for public health and social harmony.
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