HYDERABAD: North Zone Task Force officials apprehended 17 persons who were collecting money forcibly from commuters at various traffic junctions in the city posing as hijras. An official told TNIE that most of them seeking alms at the traffic junctions were fake hijras. “North Zone police acted upon complaints of harassment being faced by the commuters from hijras and took 17 persons into custody. But all of them turned out to be fake eunuchs,” said the official.
Ramgopalpet police along with Task Force sleuths apprehended the 17 persons from Mahankali, Bowenpally, Begumpet, Maredpally and Ramgopalpet areas and cases were registered against them for extortion, cheating and creating a public nuisance.
“A couple of hijras identified vulnerable youngsters and lured them into begging at the traffic junctions with prospects of earning a good income. The duo to prevent the youngsters from changing their minds some time in future persuaded them to undergo gender change in Vijayawada, the official said.