CHENNAI: K Prithika Yashini, India’s first transgender police officer, took charge as a sub-inspector of police at Choolaimedu Police Station on Monday. She was part of the batch of 111 sub-inspectors, who finished training and took charge in police stations across the city.
“She will be very helpful, especially in handling transgenders. There are many transgenders living in our jurisdiction,” said Inspector J Shivakumar, who heads the Choolaimedu Police Station. He said all genders are treated equally in the police station and there will not be any discrimination.
Prithika faced many hurdles to join the police service as her application was initially rejected because of her gender. She then approached the Madras High Court, which ordered the Tamil Nadu Uniformed Services Recruitment Board to accept her application.She was subsequently selected as sub-inspector last year and went through training at the Tamil Nadu Police Academy in Vandalur.