Bhubaneswar: A group of people from the LGBTQIA+ community stopped a trans man from ending his own life after a nearly four-hour search, before finally tracing him near the railway tracks in Bhubaneswar on Monday.Braving the scorching sun, about 20 transgender persons accompanied by railway police personnel walked nearly 10km along the railway tracks before tracing him and whisking him away to safety.The community — many of whom did not even know him personally — mobilized the search operation after coming across SOS videos around 9.30 am in which he warned of ending his life by jumping in front of a train.“We quickly realized the urgency of the issue and activated all our members across Bhubaneswar. We also informed the authorities of government railway police, railway protection force, and the commissionerate police to ensure coordinated action,” said Meera Parida, president of all Odisha transgender and kinnar association.By 1.30 pm, one of the search teams traced the man near Lingaraj station. “Multiple groups were deployed across the tracks. Police closely verified the background details in the videos and traced his phone location. Fortunately, he was found safe near the tracks and taken to Airfield police station for counselling before being handed over to his family,” said Pratap Kumar Sahoo, former chairperson of a govt transgender committee.Police sources revealed that the trans man, employed with an NGO in Khurda district, was struggling with personal issues. “His relationship with a girl had faced strong opposition from his family, leaving him deeply distressed. We have counselled him and ensured he is safe,” an officer at Airfield police station said.
