A two-member expert medical team from Government Medical College, Kalamassery, conducted post-mortem on transwoman Anannyah Kumari Alex whose death has kicked up a row after the LGBTQ community attributed it to alleged complications post-gender affirmative surgery held at a private hospital here a year ago.
Anannyah, the first transwoman to contest Assembly elections and the State’s first transwoman radio jockey, was found hanging in her apartment at Edappally on Tuesday evening. She had been reportedly going through complications after the surgery about which she had posted on social media in the days leading up to her death.
She had scripted history in the last Assembly elections by contesting as a Democratic Social Justice Party candidate against Indian Union Muslim League stalwart P.K. Kunhalikutty.
The post-mortem, which started around 10.05 a.m. lasted till 12.15 p.m. Tomy Mappalakayil, head of Forensic Medicine Department at the Government Medical College, and Assistant Professor Jiju V.S. conducted the post-mortem after which the body was released to her community members. The body was kept for a while at the home of a fellow community member perceived as her adopted mother at Aluva as per the custom among the community. The body was taken to her native place at Peruman in Kollam in the afternoon.
The post-mortem report will be submitted to the Kalamassery police, who are investigating the death, on Friday. The procedure, which was originally scheduled for Wednesday, was postponed by a day after the transgender community, backed by Anannyah’s father, petitioned the police that it should be conducted by a team of experts.
“We are satisfied with the post-mortem procedure held in compliance with our demand. But that is no compensation for what Anannyah endured for which she should get justice,” said Sheethal Shyam, a member of the State Transgender Justice Board.
Maya Krishnan, Anannyah’s lawyer, said further legal measures would be pursued after receiving the post-mortem report. She added that Anannyah had not filed any petition for medical negligence against the private hospital where she had undergone the surgery. “However, she had filed a petition with the Palarivattom police against alleged harassment by the hospital authorities when she had gone there for discussing post-surgery complications,” said Ms. Krishnan, who is also a member of the State Transgender Justice Board.
P.R. Santhosh, Inspector, Kalamassery police, said no case other than the one registered for unnatural death was pending on the matter as of now.
The community of transpeople had on Wednesday staged a protest in front of Renai Medicity at Palarivattom where the victim had undergone the surgery, against alleged medical negligence. However, the hospital authorities in a statement absolved its doctors of any wrongdoing.
