Vastrapur police faced a unique dilemma recently. "Where do we keep accused eunuchs?" The police had arrested seven eunuchs after a city-based architect filed a complaint stating he was attacked by members of the transgender community when he refused to give in to their importunate demands for some money. The incident took place on July 18, after which Akash Gopalani approached the cops with his complaint. The police arrested the accused transgenders. But upon reaching the police station, the cops were in a fix whether to place them in a lock-up with men or women. At first, they decided to keep them inside the women's cell, but doubt soon crept in and they could not be sure whether it was the right decision. So they ended up keeping the septet inside a room and deploying police to watch over them. Inspector MM Jadeja of Vastrapur police station said, "In the 12 years of my service, this was the first time I was dealing with a case involving eunuchs. I didn't have an idea about what's the norm here and what should be done. The lock-up for women was empty so at first I ordered my subordinates to keep them there. But when concerns were raised, the cops kept them inside a room under surveillance." On where the law stands on police custody of eunuchs, Dr Debarati Halder, a professor and advocate, conceded it's a "grey area". She said: "A liberal understanding of NALSA judgment would show that transgender people should be given separate facilities including toilet, medical and school. But when the infrastructure doesn't support this, then, transgender women may be kept in women's cells, to protect them against any potential abuse by male inmates and guards." She added that a cell may be created for transgender women which can be given transgender guards.

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