Indian Navy Fires Vizag Born Sailor For Becoming A Female After Sex Change Operation

New Delhi: The Indian Navy has sacked Vishakapatnam-born sailor MK Giri for undergoing a sex change surgery last year, holding him guilty of breaching service rules.

Manish Giri, a naval sailor, had undergone the sex change surgery in August at a hospital in Mumbai when he was on leave. He did not inform his higher-ups neither did he seek permission for changing his gender.

"The Indian Navy has discharged Manish Giri, a naval sailor, evoking the clause of 'Service No Longer Required' under the navy regulations," the navy said in a statement.

It said the sailor who underwent "sex reassignment surgery" while on leave was administratively discharged from the service.

"The individual chose to undergo irreversible gender re-assignment on his own accord, whilst on leave wilfully altering his gender status from the one he was recruited for at the time of his induction," it said.

Giri was posted at a naval facility in Visakhapatnam.

"He has breached the Recruitment Regulations and eligibility criteria for his employment as a sailor in the Indian Navy," the navy said.

It said that the existing service rules and regulations do not permit the sailor's continued employment owing to his altered gender status, medical condition and "resultant employability restrictions".

However, Giri, now Sabi after becoming a female, says she would move the court challenging discrimination against transgenders. The Supreme Court in 2014 has recognized transgenders as the third gender and asked the governments and its agencies to provide reservations for admission in educational institutions and also in recruitment.