India’s 1st Transgender Cop Challenges Child Adoption Rejection in Court

Chennai: India’s first transgender police officer, Prithika Yashini, has approached the Madras High Court for the second time after her application to adopt a child was rejected last year on September 22.

Prithika Yashini fought a lengthy legal battle to become a sub-inspector in Tamil Nadu, opening doors for more transgender women to join the police force.

In 2021, she applied online to the Central Adoption Resources Authority (CARA) to express her interest in adoption, but her application was denied. Prithika, currently serving as an Assistant Immigration Officer, argued in her petition that the rejection of her application violates her fundamental rights as a citizen and is both unlawful and discriminatory.

Justice M Dhandapani of the high court has issued a notice to the Ministry of Women and Child Development and CARA, demanding a response to the petition by June 30, 2023.