ON JUNE 16, 2025, THE ANDHRA PRADESH HIGH COURT passed a thoughtful judgment that reinforced the right of transgender women to be treated as women under Indian criminal law. The case was not only about a marriage that had gone wrong, but also about a fight for dignity, legal identity, and the basic right to seek justice.
Justice Venkata Jyothirmai Pratapa ruled that a transgender woman in a heterosexual marriage has the legal right to file a dowry harassment complaint under Section 498-A of the Indian Penal Code. The High Court rejected the idea that womanhood must be linked to reproductive ability. It made clear that being a woman is not limited to biological functions but includes gender identity and lived experience. This ruling is not the creation of a new law, but a reminder of what has already been recognised by the Constitution and the courts. It strengthens the protections given to transgender persons, especially in intimate and domestic spaces that often go unquestioned by the law.
The story behind the case
The case was based on a complaint filed by Pokala Sabhana, a transgender woman, against her husband Viswanathan Krishna Murthy and his family. She alleged cruelty, dowry demands, and abandonment after a short period of cohabitation. The two had been in a relationship before marrying under Hindu rites at Arya Samaj, Hyderabad, in January 2019.
According to Sabhana, her family gave dowry in the form of cash, gold, and household goods. However, just a couple of months into the marriage, Viswanathan left and cut off all contact. She also received a threatening message, allegedly from him. The police filed a chargesheet, and the case was taken up in a magistrate court.
