TDoR 2021 / 2021 / March / 20 / Niharika Narasimhamurthy


Niharika Narasimhamurthy

Age 35

20 Mar 2021
Hindupur, Andhra Pradesh (India)
Stabbed and burned

TDoR list ref: tgeu/20-Mar-2021/Niharika Narasimhamur thy

Niharika Narasimhamurthy

Niharika was reportedly killed by two men who left her body by a roadway.

Thirty-five-year-old Transgender woman Niharika Narasimhamurthy was reportedly burned alive by two men Saturday morning and left by a roadway.

Niharika Narasimhamurthy’s body was found alongside the Hindupur-Sira Highway Saturday morning with her throat slit and half burnt.

The police say that they are looking for two suspects, Rajasekhar and Hanumanthappa. According to the police, Rajasekhar was the victim’s longtime friend and lover. They say he used to visit often until his wife became suspicious. To ally his wife’s fears he killed Niharika first slicing her throat then dousing her with gasoline to set her afire.

The Hindu, which first reported on this, predictably told a different story. The Hindu wrote that Niharika was a working girl who died trying to extort her client for money. According to that narrative, Rajasekhar refused to pay her so Niharika threatened to out him. This ‘put him a spot’ so he killed her.

That would be a lot to assume since the killers hadn’t been caught. But it isn’t unexpected as it fits a pattern well established by Indian media. India’s transgender people will never stand a chance of achieving the level of equality guaranteed by their constitution and courts until the press and police treat them respectfully.

Even if the police had relayed that story to them as the Hindu claims, Niharika Narasimhamurthy at a minimum deserves both dignity in death and a fair trial.

Rest in Peace Niharika Narasimhamurthy. You deserve better than this.

https://planettransgender.com/transgender-woman-was-burned-alive

https://divya-bharat.com/transgender-done-to-death-in-hindupur/

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/andhra-pradesh/transgender-done-to-death-in-hindupur/article34119592.ece/amp/

Report added: 21 Mar 2021. Last updated: 12 Nov 2021

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