Tamil Nadu Amends Law To Protect LGBT+ Persons From Police Harassment

The amendment to the law comes after Madras HC last year told the Tamil Nadu government to amend the police rules las year.

A pride march | Credit: Pixabay

Chennai: In a remarkable move, the Tamil Nadu government amended Tamil Nadu Subordinate Police Officers' Conduct Rules to stop the police harassment against LGBTQIA+ community members and activists working for the community. 

According to a report in the New Indian Express, the Home Department in an order said, a rule 24 C will be added below rule 24 B and the new rule will state that no police should indulge in any act of harassment of any persons belonging to the LGBTQIA+ community and people working for the welfare of the community. 

Further, the order also went on to explain that harassment does not include the right of the police to make an inquiry as per the clauses provided in the constitution. 

The amendment to the law comes after Madras HC last year told the Tamil Nadu government to amend the police rules and include a provision for punishment against police personnel harassing LGBTQIA+ people or NGOs helping them. 

The order was given in a historic court judgment where Justice Anand Venkatesh spoke about how he overcame his biases. In the judgment, Venkatesh said that he belongs to the majority of the people who do not completely understand homosexuality but ignorance is not a justification for normalizing any form of discrimination. Hence he went on to take up psycho-education before penning the order. 

The case pertains to two women who accused the police of harassing them while investigating the missing person complaint filed by their parents. The lesbian couple from Madurai had come to Chennai to start a life together.