Basin Bridge Police arrested three persons in connection with an assault allegedly triggered by prior enmity between two trans groups in Pulianthope.

The police said Salma, 42, a trans person from Pulianthope, was engaged in seeking alms at shops along with a group of others. About a month ago, another trans person, Parthiban alias Surekha, left Salma’s group and joined a rival trans group from Moolakothalam. Since then, frequent verbal disputes had reportedly taken place between the two groups.

According to the police, in the early hours of Saturday, a few members of the rival group allegedly trespassed into the house of Dilsha, who belonged to Salma’s group, at KP Park in Pulianthope, and damaged household items, including a television and washing machine.

On Sunday morning, when Salma and another trans person, Kaviya, were on their way to lodge a complaint at the police station, they were allegedly intercepted near the KP Park bus stop in Pulianthope by around 10 trans persons, including Surekha who allegedly abused them using obscene language, attacked them with stones and beer bottles, and issued death threats before fleeing the spot. Kaviya sustained bleeding injuries and was admitted to the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital for treatment.

Based on a complaint lodged by Salma, the police registered a case and launched an investigation.

The police later arrested three trans persons involved in the incident. The arrested persons were identified as Deepan alias Diya, 19, of Pulianthope; Vijayakumar alias Sumithra, 28, of Choolai; and Rajiv alias Swathi, 20, of Korukkupet.

The police said efforts are under way to trace the other absconding persons in the case.