Colleagues put Beed constable at ease as he rejoins duty following genital reconstruction
Lalit proudly salutes Inspector Rajiv Talekar on his first day back
"I was so excited to put on my khaki uniform again, I barely slept the entire night," said Lalit Salve, 29. He marched into Majalgaon (urban) police station proudly, as he had done so many times before - except, this was the first time he was reporting to work as a man. "It's an entirely new identity for me, a completely different life. I feel so proud to enter my police station as a male cop," he said.
The 29-year-old had left as Lalita, and has now returned as Lalit, just three weeks after undergoing a genital reconstruction surgery at St George hospital in Mumbai. It's the first time the entire village and even the Beed police have witnessed such a transformation, so Lalit was pleasantly surprised when his colleagues welcomed him back with their heart and arms wide open.
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Lalit Salve cuts a dashing figure in his khaki uniform as he resumes duty at the Majalgaon (urban) police station
Warm welcome
Fellow constables said they were extremely happy to see him back in his new avatar. "Lalit looks handsome," they added with smiles all around. "Life has taken a 180-degree turn, but for all the positive reasons," said Lalit, adding, "It feels so great to return to work as Lalit, a male cop. I will remember this day for the rest of my life."
Impatient to return to work, his day started early. He proudly wore his uniform and asked for blessings from not just his parents, but also his neighbours and relatives who had stood by him during his struggle. His parents accompanied him to the police station in a hired car, as Lalit is yet to be cleared to ride his bike.
Upon arriving at Majalgaon (urban) police station, Lalit touched the ground at the entrance of the police station and mouthed a quiet prayer. He then marched straight to Inspector Rajiv Talekar's cabin and proudly saluted him.
"We are very happy to welcome him as a male cop. We will continue to stand by Lalit's decision," said Talekar. Lalit then met G Sreedhar, Superintendent of Police, Beed, to complete the paperwork. The SP said, "Lalit's name will be changed in the police records in a few days. However, he will have to update his name in the gazzette. This is a first-of-its-kind case; if a similar case comes up in the future, we will have Lalit's case as reference."
New name, new everything
Once the formalities are over, the department will issue his new name badge and cap. Incomplete though it is, his uniform is one of the few outfits that Lalit owns now. He has a total of seven male outfits, of which five were gifts from the villagers.
Like his wardrobe, his room at the police quarters is also undergoing a transformation. Lalit who was living at his childhood home at Rajegaon, has now moved back to his quarters along with his parents. His mother and sister-in-law are doing up the quarters with a masculine touch, and are in the process of removing all of Lalit's old feminine effects from the room.
One thing that Lalit hopes to hold on to from the past is his athletic record. Mumbai Police DCP N D Reddy, who was Lalit's boss during his tenure as Beed SP in 2014-15, recalled that the constable had won many medals at the state level as well. "I was a good athlete and will continue to participate in sports. I will ask my doctor about fitness clearance to return to sports," Lalit said.
Also read: Beed cop sex change saga: Rajegaon welcomes its son Lalit Salve with open arms
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