Ludhiana: Police have launched a manhunt for a local transgender leader and nine associates following the abduction and forced castration of a 30-year-old cook, an attack allegedly sparked by a bitter territorial dispute.The victim, identified as Manpreet Singh of Jalandhar, was found abandoned and mutilated on a roadside on Tuesday, four days after he was reported missing. Police have claimed in their reports that Manpreet Singh worked as a cook for a transgender group led by Reshma Mahant. He vanished on the morning of Jan 24 after leaving for a walk in Ludhiana’s Khwaja Kothi Chowk area.An acquaintance of the victim, Vidhyarti Rao, has told investigators that the search for Manpreet Singh ended when an anonymous caller reported that he had been admitted to Ludhiana’s civil hospital in critical condition. “Manpreet told me that the accused and his aides abducted him, mutilated him, and dumped him on the roadside,” Rao stated in his complaint.The InvestigationPolice authorities believe the motive stems from a long-standing rivalry between Reshma Mahant’s group and a rival faction led by Rabina Mahant. The two groups have reportedly been at odds over “area distribution” — the informal division of neighbourhoods where transgender communities traditionally collect alms and perform at ceremonies. “We have registered a case based on the initial complaint, but the victim’s condition is critical,” said assistant sub-inspector Amarjeet Singh. “He has been referred to a hospital in Chandigarh for specialist care.”The AccusedPolice have registered a case against Rabina Mahant and nine others, identified as Suhana, Sona, Simmi, Kanika, Rehmat, Shiv Kumar, Dilawar, Hifazat, and Pooja. The suspects face charges under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including sections 118 (1) & (2) (causing grievous hurt voluntarily by dangerous weapons) and 61 (2) (criminal conspiracy). Investigators are currently analysing mobile tower data and CCTV footage to track the suspects, who remain at large. A formal statement from the victim will be recorded once doctors declare him fit to speak.
