Bengaluru: Three transgenders have been arrested by the Pulikeshinagar police on Monday for allegedly abducting and mutilating the genitals of an 18-year-old in the city.

The police said that the prime accused in the case Anandi, 35, and her two aides Shreya, 30 and Aishu, residents of Cox Town were arrested on Monday evening. According to police the victim was very close and shared bond with accused Shreya who was his childhood friend.

Another co-accused in the case a 62-year-old priest, Tulasiappan, from Puliksehsinagar, was arrested earlier by a special team near Cole’s Park near Bharthi Nagar police station. The investigations revealed that the victim used to visit Mariamma temple, built by Tulasiappan regularly.  Later, the priest befriended him and convinced him to become a transgender. “Tulasiappan, was the middleman and helped the prime accused, in abducting the victim and later carrying out the genital mutilation,” police said.

Police further said, “Tulasiappan is one of the accused in the case. He met the victim at his temple during one of his visits and is accused of influencing and convincing the victim to become a transgender. Though the accused have maintained that they didn’t force the victim, the complainant in his statement has told the police that he was abducted, forcibly kept under house arrest for 11 days before carrying out genital mutilation. Based on his statement, we arrested Tulasiappan on Monday morning. Tulasiappan is a man, but dresses like a woman. This is Tulasiappan’s first offence. So far, we have not come across his involvement in any other case. Tulasiappan told us that he didn’t force the victim instead he agreed to go with him of his own consent.”