Muzaffarnagar:

He went to bed as a man but woke up as a woman. For 20-year-old Mujahid, life took a drastic turn when he was deceived into undergoing gender reassignment surgery. This was orchestrated by another man in collusion with doctors from a local medical college in Uttar Pradesh’s Muzaffarnagar.

This sensational case has sparked outrage and led to protests by the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU).

The incident took place at Begrajpur Medical College in Mansoorpur. Mujahid, 20 and resident of Sanjak village, alleged that he was deceived by Omprakash on June 3. Omprakash allegedly convinced the doctors at the medical college to perform surgery on Mujahid, which involved the removal of his genitals and a forced gender change.

Mujahid claims that Omprakash had been threatening and harassing him for the past two years. Mujahid was falsely told that he had a medical issue requiring hospital inspection. Accompanied by Omprakash, he visited the facility where the hospital staff allegedly administered anaesthesia and performed the sex-change operation.

“He brought me here, and the next morning I had an operation. When I regained consciousness, I was told that I had been changed from a boy to a girl,” Mujahid recounted. 

Omprakash allegedly told him that he would now have to live with him, adding that no one from his family or community would accept him anymore. Omprakash also threatened to shoot Mujahid’s father and seize his share of the family land.

“He said, ‘I changed you from a man to a woman and now you have to live with me. I have prepared a lawyer and prepared a court marriage for you. Now I will shoot your father and the land of your share will be named after me and then I will sell it and go to Lucknow’,” Mujahid recalled.

In response to the incident, BKU workers, led by farmer leader Shyam Pal, staged a protest at the medical college, demanding immediate action against Omprakash and the involved doctors. The police have assured the demonstrators that a thorough investigation would be conducted.

According to Shyam Pal, this incident points to a larger issue of organ trafficking in the hospital. He claimed that there is a racket operating within the hospital that targets individuals for organ harvesting and gender reassignment without consent. 

“It is very unfortunate. We want this illegal business of selling body parts to be stopped immediately. All those involved, including the hospital management and those who facilitated this crime, should be held accountable and punished,” Mr Pal demanded.

Mr Pal said that Mujahid’s father had filed a police complaint on June 16, which led to Omprakash’s arrest. However, Mr Pal criticised the police for their lax attitude and called for stricter action. He also demanded compensation of at least Rs 2 crore for Mujahid, whose life has been severely affected by this traumatic incident.

“All the allegations made by the family and the protestors will be thoroughly investigated, and appropriate legal actions will be taken against those found guilty,” Senior Muzaffarnagar police officer Ramashish Yadav said.

Besides arresting Omprakash, the police are also investigating the hospital staff involved in the case.