Delhi Police detained 10 Bangladeshi transgender people during three separate operations in northwest Delhi, alleging that they were living in India without valid immigration documents. According to police, eight people were detained from the Shalimar Bagh area and two others from Mahendra Park. Police said the individuals were identified as Bangladeshi nationals after officers examined their mobile phones and social media accounts and found Bangladeshi national identity documents. The police subsequently initiated procedures for their deportation to Bangladesh.

The police account and subsequent media reporting placed notable emphasis on the detainees’ gender expression and physical appearance. According to the report, police said the individuals dressed in women’s clothing, wore makeup, spoke in feminine voices and that some had undergone gender-affirming surgery. These characteristics were described as ways in which the detainees allegedly concealed their “actual identity.” The report also cited police claims that the individuals engaged in “objectionable activities” at night, but did not identify a specific offence or provide details establishing what those alleged activities involved.

The case involved not only immigration enforcement against Bangladeshi nationals but also the explicit use of transgender identity and gender expression within the police narrative surrounding their detention. Clothing, makeup, voice and gender-affirming medical procedures were presented as indicators of identity concealment rather than as aspects of gender expression. The report also reproduced police allegations of “objectionable activities” without specifying what those activities involved or identifying a particular offence connected to that allegation.