ANANTAPUR: The suspicious death of a transgender person, Mallika, in Tadipatri town of Anantapur district triggered tension on Monday, with members of the local Rayalaseema transgender community alleging foul play and terming it a murder.
According to sources, Mallika, a resident of Tadipatri, had been missing since Sunday evening. Her body was later found on railway tracks on Monday near Challavaripalli railway gate in Tadipatri mandal.
It is suspected that she was forcibly taken away in an auto-rickshaw by members of a rival group of transgender persons. The alleged abduction was reportedly captured on nearby CCTV cameras, following which Tadipatri police intensified the investigation.
Police later received information about a body lying on the railway tracks. On reaching the spot, they identified it as that of Mallika.
After news of her death spread, members of the transgender community rushed to the hospital and staged protests, accusing a rival group of kidnapping and murdering Mallika as part of a pre-planned conspiracy.
Police have reportedly taken three suspects — Sirisha, Sangeetha and Radha — into custody in connection with the alleged abduction and death.
Investigators are probing whether rivalry between transgender groups led to the incident or whether other angles were involved. Further investigation is under way, police said.
Meanwhile, social workers and organisations stressed the need to provide sustainable livelihoods for transgender persons and sought strict action against alleged extortion activities at busy junctions and railway gates.
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