In an important ruling, the Madras High Court bench has held that as per the Hindu Marriage Act, a transsexual is also a "bride" and the term would not necessarily refer only to a woman.

Justice GR Swaminathan gave the ruling on a petition filed by a man and a transwoman who approached the court after officials refused to register their marriage held in Tuticorin last October.

Allowing the petition on Monday, he directed the Registration Department officials to register the marriage of the petitioners.

Voicing concern over the plight of transgender people, who, he said, suffered from stigma and are forced to leave their homes, the judge directed the Tamil Nadu government to issue an order banning sex reassignment surgeries on inter-sex infants and children.

Quoting from epics Mahabharatha and Ramayana, as well as from Supreme Court rulings, the judge said the word 'bride' could not have a static or immutable meaning and would have to include a transwoman.