Cameraperson: Akanksha Kumar
Video Editor: Mohd Ibrahim, Mohd Irshad & Abhishek Sharma
For 38-year-old Geeta (name changed), earning a livelihood on Delhi’s streets has been nothing short of a nightmare.
Geeta, who identifies herself as a transgender, earns around Rs 500 daily by begging in the alleys of Connaught Place, one of the popular marketplaces in Delhi.
Though the Supreme Court decriminalised Section 377 in September 2018, little has changed for Geeta who is allegedly subjected to harassment by Delhi Police personnel almost daily.
Reluctant to File a Complaint
A week after the SC judgment, journalists received a message from Dr Karthik Bittu, a trans activist, informing that three transgender beggars would be filing a complaint at the Connaught Place police station. Geeta was one of them. She was allegedly raped by three beat constables of Delhi Police in Palika Bazar seven years ago.
But Geeta chose not to file a complaint that day.
“I haven’t changed my mind but would like to check with my guru once. If she (guru) says that I have her back on this then, I will move forward.”Geeta
Dressed in a dark blue georgette suit, it was the grit and determination in Geeta’s eyes, laden with kohl, that was hard to miss.
The Quint has chosen not to name the survivor in this case to protect her identity. Geeta had given her due consent before we interviewed her.
Two of Geeta’s friends who had accompanied her that day also backed out fearing threat and intimidation at the hands of police. One of them told me, on condition of anonymity, that they often change their path on spotting the men in khaki.
Going Against the Guru
For Geeta, filing a complaint was not as tough as was the decision to rebel against her guru.
The transgender beggars usually work under the leadership of a senior, referred to as the guru, with whom Geeta has to share fifty percent of her earnings on a daily basis. Guru is, thus a pivotal figure who helps transgenders, most of whom have left their homes, in settling down and claiming their own space.
Almost a fortnight later, Geeta decided to file a formal complaint despite her guru advising her not to do so.
“The guru told me that she has got nothing to do with this. ‘You can do anything you want, even if you are killed, I’m not going to intervene.’ So, I said okay then, and, after much thinking decided to file the FIR.”Geeta, Rape Survivor
‘Can Identify Them (Cops)’
Recalling the chain of events in 2011, the day when she was allegedly raped, Geeta says she was forced into oral and anal sex by three constables of Delhi Police.
She was sitting in the central park, counting her earnings for the day when suddenly she was picked up on allegations of stealing money.
“They beat me up and did ‘wrong’ to me. There were three policemen. First, they snatched my mobile and took away all the money I had.”Geeta, Rape Survivor
Though Geeta can’t recall the names of those cops, she’s sure of identifying them ‘if they come before her eyes’.
Right to Beg on Delhi’s Streets
According to Dr Karthik Bittu, this pattern of daily harassment makes it difficult for people like Geeta to go about their work normally without any hassle.
“This becomes a cycle where the police harass people, but no official complaint is filed against the police. Everybody who’s street-based is vulnerable.”Dr Karthik Bittu, Trans Activist
The Quint has sent a detailed questionnaire to the Delhi Police seeking response over the delay in filing the FIR in this case.
Below is the list of questions sent to the concerned officials of the Delhi Police:
1) What is the status of Geeta's complaint filed at the Connaught Place police station on 3 October 2018 in which the victim has alleged rape by three constables of the Delhi Police seven years ago?
2) Can you please tell us the reason behind the delay in filing an FIR in the case? On what basis have the police ignored sec 166A of the CrPC and the Supreme Court guidelines in the Lalita Kumari case which says that registration of FIR is mandatory in such cases?
3) Following the Supreme Court judgment in sec 377 case, how is the Delhi Police going to sensitise its personnel who continue to harass people like Geeta trying to earn a living on Delhi's streets?
This article will be updated if and when the Delhi Police responds.
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