The Punjab-Haryana High Court has ordered the Punjab government to address the lack of separate accommodations for transgender individuals in prisons and police lockups, highlighting their absence in barracks and facilities. The court's directive seeks a response specifically on the provision of separate toilets for transgender inmates within jails.

While filing the petition, Advocate Sanpreet Singh told the High Court that the Central Government had passed the Transgender Protection Act in 2019 and had notified the rules related to it in 2020. On January 10, 2022, the Central Government had written a letter to the Chief Secretaries and DG Jails of all the states and union territories and asked them to arrange separate facilities for transgender prisoners.

The petitioner said that keeping in mind the safety of transgender prisoners, there should be separate bars in jails. Along with this, there should be separate lockup facility for transgender prisoners in police stations and posts. Transgenders cannot be kept in jails along with male prisoners. The petition mentioned the story of a transgender prisoner who was raped by 12 inmates in the jail.

The petitioner said that he had sought information from the Punjab government through RTI about the arrangements made for transgender prisoners. In response, it was told that there is no separate barrack available for them in any jail of Punjab. Apart from this, there is no provision of separate lock up for them in any police station or post.

Expressing surprise over this, the High Court has now ordered the Punjab government to file a reply regarding the arrangement of separate toilets for transgender prisoners.