Aditi Raja | Mail Toda | Mumbai, July 1, 2012 | UPDATED 10:40 IST

Bidhan Barua accuses navy man of raping him

Bidhan Barua's <http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/bidhan-barua-sex-change-operation-...>
 troubles seem unending. The 21-year-old from Guwahati had to brave a
lot of storm, including regular beatings and humiliation from his
parents, to finally get the nod from the Bombay High Court
<http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/bombay-high-court-assam-student-se...>
to undergo a sex change
<http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/bidhan-barua-sex-change-operation-...>
as he feels that he is a woman trapped in a man's body.

Bidhan had wanted to undergo the operation because he harboured dreams
of marrying a flight lieutenant of the Indian Air Force, whom he had
met in Guwahati, and had fallen in love.

But barely months after it seemed Bidhan, finally, had his life sorted
out comes the news of him approaching the Mumbai Police to file a rape
case against his 'fiance', a defence personnel.

This is not the man whom Bidhan wanted to marry. The charges are
against a new man in his life, a navy commando called Kunal Malik,
stationed at the Colaba navy base. Bidhan has accused the commando of
raping him on several occasions under the false promise of marriage.

Bidhan met Malik after his relationship with the air force officer
came to an end. Bidhan alleged Malik had promised to marry him after
he undergoes a sex-change operation and got into a physical
relationship with him. However, Malik backed out later, forcing Bidhan
to approach the police.

But the case has left the police perplexed. A source from the Colaba
police station said: "The IPC only defines rape by a man against a
woman and there are sections accordingly for that offence. However,
this case falls under unnatural sexual acts and thus is under Section
377 of the IPC. We are looking at the options before initiating
action. Moreover, since the accused is a naval officer, we will have
to approach the naval authorities."

Police sources said the case could land Bidhan in trouble as well.
They said that under Section 377, action could be initiated against
Bidhan as well as Malik.

Copyright © 2012 Living Media India Limited

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