Madurai: The legal battle of transgender Nasriya alias R Jegatheeswaran (21) who was turned away from selection centre and prevented from taking physical test for post of grade-II police constable has borne fruits.
The plight of Jegatheeswaran turned Nasriya from Vasanthapuram village in Ramathapuram district, was first highlighted in DC when she approached the court on August 8, seeking a direction to the Tamil Nadu Uniformed Services Recruitment Board (TNUSR) to facilitate her to participate in the physical test.
Taking up the case, Justice T Raja directed the TNUSR to conduct physical test for the transgender on Thursday evening.
Following this, Nasriya in the last two days has cleared the physical standards and physical efficiency tests, such as 100 and 400 metres running, long jump and throw ball conducted exclusively for her at the Armed Reserved Ground Race Course in Madurai.
Nasriya , who was pursuing BA (English) Literature in Alagappa university, Karaikudi, through correspondence course, had applied for the posts of Grade-II police constable, Grade jail warden and fireman- 2017. She applied under transgender category and passed in the written examination which was held on May 21, said Robert Chandra Kumar, counsel for the transgender. However, when she appeared for physical test scheduled on July 31 at Seethakathi Sethupathi Stadium, Ramanathapuram, the police officials did not permit her to appear for the test on the premise that she did not produce the ‘certificate of her sex’.
She informed the officials that it was neither mentioned anywhere in the publications nor in the call letter to bring the certificate, but only in vain. Though a team of doctors was present in the venue, they only tested the female candidates. Hence she approached the court for justice.“The learned counsel who appeared for the petitioner fairly submitted that although Nasriya has applied for the certificate showing that she belongs to transgender category three months before, the Revenue officials only belatedly issued the same. In any event, she is in the procession of certificate issued by the district social welfare officer,” said Justice Raja in his order. Thanks to the court, Jegatheeswaran now needs to clear only the medical fitness test to become a police constable.
