Maha to start gender determination test for police recruitment

The controversy surrounding a 29-year-old police constable's request to the Maharashtra government to undergo a sex reassignment surgery, has prompted the state police to include gender determination test in their recruitment process.

Lalita Salve, who now prefers to be called Lalit, met Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis last month seeking his permission to undergo the surgery and be retained in the police force as a male police constable after the procedure.

"Till now, we did not have a gender determination test during police recruitment. However, going by this case, we felt the need to introduce such a test to avoid complications in future," Rajkumar Vhatkar, inspector general of police (establishment), told PTI in Mumbai today.

The recruitment process of around 8,000 police constables is underway in Maharashtra, he said, adding the gender determination test will be included during the process.

Besides physical tests, the police force is including the gender test to avoid male candidates being selected in the female category, another police official said.

This case is unique for the 1.80-lakh-strong police constabulary in Maharashtra. Salve grew up as a woman and was recruited as a woman police constable, he said.

Salve moved the Bombay High Court in November, seeking a direction to the DGP to grant Salve leave to undergo the surgery.

Salve also sought a month's leave for the surgery, but it was rejected by Beed police authorities, after which the constable approached the high court.

Later, Fadnavis asked the DGP to consider Salve's case favourably.

Salve is a member of the all-women patrolling team called "Damini" squad, formed to keep eve-teasers at bay, at Majalgaon in Beed district.

When Salve met Fadnavis last month, the latter asked DGP Satish Mathur to take a "quick decision" in the case.

After meeting the chief minister, Salve had appeared "hopeful" of getting permission for the surgery and of being retained as a male police constable.