No relief for transgender from running race in police selection

Justice S M Subramaniam, who dismissed the plea, said, “The petitioner has already been given a concession of participating in the running race along with women candidates. 

Therefore, another concession as prayed for cannot be granted. Writ petition stands dismissed. However, the petitioner need not get discouraged and this court wishes her in participating in all future selections with more efforts,” judge added. 

The petitioner Manju of Thelungupalayam in Coimbatore district had submitted that though born a male child and studied up to higher secondary as a male, she underwent necessary operations and was certified as transgender from the medical panel formed by the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital on May 26, 2016. 

Subsequently, through a gazette publication on October 5, 2016, she changed her name from S Vivek to S Manju. Noting that she belongs to Scheduled Caste and that her father who was a daily wage labourer died leaving her and her mother in the lurch, she said following a notification in February 2017 calling for the recruitment of Grade II constables by the Tamil Nadu Uniformed Services Recruitment Board, she applied for the same in the separate column given for third genders. 

After getting through the written examination, she was called for the physical examination and had cleared the required height and completed 400 metres running in the time fixed by the Board. 

She further noted that thereafter, she was called for the final test held on August 3, in which long jump/ shotput/throw ball and 100 metres running events were conducted. 

Though, she was selected in the long jump and throw ball, while participating in the 100 metres running she tumbled accidentally due to which she could not reach the distance within the fixed time of 17.50 seconds leading to her disqualification from the selection. 

Submitting that she was the lone transgender among hundreds of candidates who participated in the said selection, she prayed for one more chance to run the 100 metres or to select her by considering her status.