ERUMELI: Four transgender women were reverted from going to Sabarimala by the police. Ananya, Trupti, Avanthika and Ranju who came from Kochi was stopped by the police at Erumeli. They were taken to the police station following this.

The team of four had started their journey to Sabarimala by 1.50 a.m. “We observed vrat and came like other devotees. Our people have earlier entered Sabarimala”, they said.

Police turned down the requests of transgender women to go Sabarimala. They told the police that they’ll return to Ernakulam but police asked them to go to Kottayam. As it stands, transgender women want to return to Sabarimala from Kottayam.

Transgender women had requested police security for performing ‘darshan’. But the response from police officials was harsh, they said. “We were asked to change ourselves into men’s clothing. The police even threatened our taxi driver. Police asked us to wear shirts and pants if we are men”, they alleged.

The police might have presumed that the entry of transgender women to Sabarimala could provoke another riot in an otherwise peaceful place.