Telangana: Missing transgender candidate Chandramukhi turns up at police station

Transgender candidate M Chandramukhi, contesting the Telangana assembly elections from a constituency in the city, turned up at a police station late at night on Wednesday, November 28.

Chandramukhi, who is contesting the election from Goshamahal as a candidate of the Bahujan Left Front and was missing since early Tuesday, reached Banjara Hills police station along with her lawyer and some members of the transgender community.

She refused to give a statement to police about her whereabouts, saying she will reveal all the details in court on Thursday.

The Hyderabad High Court had on Wednesday, November 28, directed the police to produce her in the court on Thursday.

The court passed orders on a habeas corpus petition filed by Chandramukhi's mother Annthamma.

Earlier, a missing case was registered at the Banjara Hills police station on a complaint by her mother.

Chandramukhi, the only transwoman candidate in Telangana's assembly elections, went missing early on Tuesday, November 27, from her house in Jawahar Nagar. According to her supporters, two persons had come to meet her. Later, her mobile phone was switched off. They claimed she had been abducted.

However, after examining CCTV footage, police said on Wednesday that she left the house on her own and was seen walking alone. A police official said she had masked her face to hide her identity.

Police had formed 10 teams to trace the missing candidate. A few teams were also deputed to Anantapur and other districts in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh.

Bahujan Left Front leaders and transgender activists have alleged that people who were opposed to a transgender contesting the election were behind her disappearance.

She had strongly protested against violence which was meted out on members of the transgender and hijra communities as an activist with the Telangana Hijra Intersex Transgender Samiti. She raised her voice against such acts of violence at many public events and rallies held to uphold the the respect of transgender people. Her decision to contest was also a decision that she felt would help the entire community.

“We fear for her safety and condemn the lack of safety measures organized for her and for other women and transgender candidates, which acts as a strong force that dissuades transgender persons and women from joining politics. Chandramukhi's campaign kicked off just one day before she went missing,” said a press release by the Telangana Hijra Trans Samiti.

Chandramukhi is contesting from Goshamahal against Bharatiya Janata Party legislator Raja Singh and the Congress party's Mukesh Goud.