Man Arrested for Attempting to Kill Daughter Over Transgender Identity in India

Auraiya police on Wednesday arrested a man for attempting to kill his 14-year-old daughter after targeting her over her transgender characteristics. The accused allegedly beat the minor with a stick, threw her into the Patna canal and fled, police said.

The girl, a resident of Kotwali Shivli area of Kanpur Dehat, survived because the canal's water level was low, enabling her to drift towards the bank, where she was rescued by locals. She was taken to a nearby CHC, from where she was shifted to a hospital given her critical condition.

According to police, the victim's father took her on a scooter, claiming he would drop her at her aunt's house in Bidhuna. On the way, between the villages of Baderahar and Bunchpur, he allegedly stopped the scooter, began abusing her with slurs related to her gender identity and assaulted her repeatedly. She told police he then dumped her into the canal and escaped.

Bystanders who noticed the injured child and heard her cries informed the police. Inspector Lalitesh Narayan Tripathi, station house officer of Bela police station, and Santosh Kumar, in charge of the Purwa Sujan outpost, reached the spot and transported her to the CHC.

"Since the girl had serious injuries, including trauma to her right eye and multiple injuries across her body, she was referred to a higher medical centre for advanced care," said Dr Jitendra Kumar, posted at the CHC.

Police said they conducted a raid soon after receiving the complaint and detained the father. During questioning, the accused allegedly admitted to beating the girl and throwing her into the canal, claiming he was angered by what he described as her transgender behaviour and alleging she was influencing her younger sister.