IN — New Delhi, Delhi. A man who says he has identified as transgender since childhood will stand trial for the molestation of a woman who has to be wheeled to court hearings.

The accused, whose name has not been revealed to the public, is alleged to have perpetrated unwanted physical contact with a 33-year-old woman at a party in a Connaught Place pub.

He and the woman he is accused of molesting had ben co-workers at a company in Noida, Uttar Pradesh.

The woman made several complaints about the conduct to the company, but no action was taken. She then pressed charges against the alleged assailant at the Connaught Place police station.

The accused filed a petition with the Delhi High Court to dismiss the criminal charges. He claimed that he is not attracted to women, and that he identifies as a woman. He has suffered with gender dysphoria since childhood and is in the process of transitioning to a feminine identity, the court heard.

Gender dysphoria is a mental disorder that causes a person to believe he or she is a member of the other sex.

During the hearing on the petition, the accused offered to settle the case. The victim, who is now bedridden due to multiple sclerosis and attended the trial in a wheelchair, declined the offer of a settlement.

The High Court rejected the motion to dismiss, and the case will proceed.

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