Trapped in man's body, student moves court for sex change

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A 21-year-old student from Guwahati who feels he is a woman trapped in man's body, has moved the Bombay High Court seeking restraining his parents from interfering with his decision to undergo a sex change operation.

Bidhan Barua, who likes to call himself Swati, has alleged that his parents had thwarted the sex reassignment surgery which was scheduled to be performed at Saifee hospital here on April 17. He said his parents threatened the doctors who have now refused to perform the operation unless the High Court gives a go ahead.

Barua has contended in his application that he is female trapped in a male body and wants to marry a flight lieutenant in the Indian Air Force.

The petition was mentioned on Friday by Barua's advocate Ejaz Naqvi who told the bench headed by Chief Justice Mohit Shah that the parents of the man had got his bank account frozen and were infringing upon his fundamental rights.

Being a major, the petitioner is capable of taking decisions, such as the sex change operation, his lawyer said.

The bench of Chief Justice Mohit Shah and Justice N.M. Jamdar assigned the matter to the bench of Justices S.F. Vajifdar and A.R. Joshi which will hear the matter on April 30.

Barua has contended in the petition that he realised early in life that he was born in the wrong sex and preferred to dress like girls. This angered his parents who mistreated him and beat him up.