Tirunelveli: Residents of Thirumal Nagar in Tirunelveli city beat up a transgender man for allegedly attempting to sexually abuse a six-year-old girl and handed him over to the Perumalpuram police. Residents also petitioned the police to vacate him and his wife, a transwoman, from the locality fearing safety of their children.

The girl’s mother was admitted in the Tirunelveli government medical college hospital for delivery last week.

Her father was attending to her mother in the hospital. Since there was nobody to take care of the girl and her brother, their parents left them at the house of their mother’s sibling (transwoman). Apart from the two children, there were a few other children in the house.

“Locals said that on Thursday the accused sent the other children out to play around 5 in the evening when his wife had gone out. As the victim was alone at home he tried to sexually abuse her. When his wife returned she came to know about it and alerted the locals,” district child protection officer B S Dev Ananth said.

Local youth beat the accused and they chased and caught hold of him when he tried to escape. T

hey handed him over to the police but he was found loitering in their locality on Friday morning. Alarmed over the inaction against the accused, the villagers took the issue to the notice of the child protection unit and senior police officers in the city.

“We are investigating the matter and appropriate action will be taken,” deputy commissioner of police (law and order) A Saravanan said.

