Supreme Court Notice To Centre On Plea Over Discrimination Of Transgender People

The plea has sought directions to establish a welfare board for transgenders and to appoint a committee to promptly probe reports of their alleged gross abuse by the police.

The Supreme Court has asked the Centre and others to reply to a plea seeking directions to establish a welfare board for transgenders and to appoint a committee to promptly probe reports of their alleged gross abuse by the police. A bench headed by Chief Justice SA Bobde agreed to hear the plea filed by a Mumbai-based organisation which has said that transgenders should be treated with the same dignity and respect as others while claiming that they have suffered discrimination for ages and are deprived of social and cultural participation. "We are issuing notice," said the bench, also comprising Justices AS Bopanna and V Ramasubramanian. During the hearing conducted through video-conferencing, advocate CR Jaya Sukin, who appeared for the petitioner, said that it is a sensitive matter and the welfare board for transgenders was needed to address their social welfare issues.