Accept form of transgender category candidate: HC

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Chandigarh, June 22

Acting on a petition filed by a transgender category candidate for Constable-Executive’s post in the Chandigarh Police, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has directed the acceptance of online application form.

“It is ordered that in case the petitioner submits an online application form mentioning his category as a transgender, the same shall be accepted and thereafter considered by the appropriate authority in accordance with its own rules,” asserted Justice Vikram Aggarwal of the High Court.

The direction came on the petition filed against the UT Home Secretary and another respondent by Saurav through counsel Raina Godara. Justice Aggarwal’s Bench, during the course of hearing, was told that the UT Administration issued an advertisement for recruitment to the post of constable (executive).

The petitioner, belonging to the transgender category, made an attempt to fill the online application form. But the petitioner could not succeed since there was no option regarding the transgender category. The petitioner’s representation dated June 2 yielded no result.

The petitioner’s counsel submitted that the candidate was well-qualified and desirous of participating in the selection process for recruitment in the Chandigarh Police. But the petitioner was not able to apply as the transgender category was unavailable.

The notice of motion issued by Justice Aggarwal to the respondents was accepted on the UT’s behalf by an advocate present in the court. The case will now come up for hearing on July 31. The petitioner had earlier approached advocate Raina Godara’s office and met her team of advocates Abhimanyu Balyan, Neil Roberts and Pooja Pande. They took up the case pro bono and approached the High Court.

The petitioner is first transgender to successfully climb Mount Lobuje (6119 m) on April 28, 2021. The petitioner also attempted to climb Mount Everest in April-May 2021 and successfully climbed 7800 metre before being forced to suspend the expedition due to weather conditions brought on by cyclone.