MHRC directs Manipur Police to act on complaint of violence against transgender woman

The Manipur Human Rights Commission (MHRC) has issued clear and urgent directions to the Superintendent of Police, Imphal West, in response to a complaint filed by Usham Deepika Chanu, a transgender woman who was subjected to a violent assault by members of her own family, followed by a disturbing pattern of police inaction. Deepika, who is legally recognized as female under the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019, had approached the Imphal Police Station on 12 November 2025 with a written report revealing grave cognizable offences committed against her. Despite the seriousness of the allegations, the police took no action whatsoever-no FIR was registered, no statement was recorded, and no procedural step was initiated. A further representation addressed to the Superintendent of Police on November 19, 2025 also remained unanswered.
After hearing the matter on November 28, 2025, the Acting Chairperson of the MHRC, K. Khagendra Singh, directed the Superintendent of Police, Imphal West, to issue appropriate instructions to the Officer-in-Charge of Imphal Police Station and to submit a compliance report before the Commission by December 22, 2025.
While the order brings immediate relief to Deepika, it also brings into focus a much deeper and more troubling reality. Incidents of violence, intimidation, humiliation, economic deprivation, and forced suppression of gender identity are experienced by a significant number of transgender persons within their own families and households. Such incidents are not isolated; they are far more common than publicly acknowledged. Yet, despite the prevalence of such abuse, it is extremely rare for a transgender person-or their household-to formally report these violations. Fear of retaliation, fear of losing shelter or economic support, intense social stigma, and the well-founded apprehension of discriminatory treatment by police authorities often force transgender individuals to suffer in silence.
In this context, Deepika’s decision to seek legal recourse-both against her assailants and against the discriminatory inaction of the police-is an extraordinary and courageous step. Her complaint, now backed by an MHRC directive, does not merely represent an individual grievance but exposes a systemic failure in the protection of transgender persons’ rights in Manipur.
It highlights the pressing need for police sensitisation, strict adherence to the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019, and the establishment of mechanisms that allow transgender persons to report violence safely and without fear.
This case should serve as a call to action for authorities at all levels. It underscores the urgent necessity for institutions to recognise the lived realities of transgender persons, to ensure that legal protections are not merely theoretical, and to uphold the constitutional promise of equality, dignity, and security. Deepika’s case is a reminder that the protection of transgender lives begins within the home but must be guaranteed by the State.