Village Welcomes Beed Cop Lalit Salve After Sex Change

Rajegaon village of Maharashtra lit up on June 13 as the people welcomed Lalit Salve home, after his sex change surgery, with great happiness. According to reports, the Beed cop returned to a decorated lane leading to his house with over 300 people gathered to receive him.

Home for recovery 

Lalit returned to his village after his discharge from Mumbai's St George Hospital. He underwent a genital reconstruction surgery at the hospital. The village came under spotlight after the Beed constable approached the state police department, seeking leave to undergo the surgery last September.

The first stage of the surgery is over. His second operation will happen after six months. "He needs to rest for five days. There is no diet plan. Fortunately, due to considerably less blood loss, he's recovering fast. The follow up will be on July 3, which is why he can go home in the meanwhile," Dr Rajat Kapur, Lalit's plastic surgeon, told Mid-Day.

Lalit is now enjoying his new-found identity. "I've lived both, as a woman, and now as a man. But I do think that people will start respecting me more," he said. His entire family is happy and emotional looking at their new male member's journey

His story will inspire others to come forward 

Lalit's successful genital reconstruction surgery has prompted the state-run St George hospital to consider a new department for these surgeries. It is considering opening a gender reassignment surgery and cosmetology OPD by next week. The cop's journey has also inspired others to come forward to seek help. "A teenage girl from Pune visited the hospital with her family and enquired about the surgery. Her case is a lot like Lalit's; she feels like a man in a woman's body," superintendent Madhukar Gaikwad said in a statement.

Mixed reactions 

The news of Lalit's new identity has been received with mixed reactions at the Majalgaon police station (urban), where he works as a constable. His colleague, PSI Priyanka Fandh, stated the change might affect their bonding. She believes they cannot share the same kind of camaraderie they did earlier as two women working together.

Lalit, who was earlier posted at Majalgaon city police station as a female police constable, will be joining the same police station as a male constable after submitting his medical reports. According to police, the eligibility criteria for recruiting women and men are different. However, the department is considering this case as a special one. A letter has been written asking to reinstate him in the department.

Read: Maharashtra Cop Granted Leave for Sex Reassignment Surgery

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Bhawana is an intern with SheThePeople.TV