Transgender found dead, mutilated

KUANTAN: A transgender was found dead here with a gunshot wound and her body mutilated. Her funeral will be held today – which was also her birthday.

The victim, known to her family as Sameera Krishnan (pic), 26, was said to have gone out at 3am yesterday to buy food.

Her cousin V. Reenunair, 29, said they were told that Sameera was seriously injured in an attack in Jalan Pasar here at about 4am.

“We didn’t know she had died at that time. We went to the mortuary and found that she had been shot in her posterior.

“Four fingers of her right hand were severed and she had serious head injuries.

“Her right arm was also badly mutilated as though she had been trying to ward off repeated blows from her assailant,” Reenunair said when met at Tengku Ampuan Afzan Hospital here.

“Why would anyone want to hurt her like this,” she added.

Reenunair said Sameera worked at a florist outlet here and had never complained of anyone disturbing her.

Shameera was born a male but had lived as a woman for the past seven to eight years.

Kuantan OCPD Asst Comm Abdul Aziz Salleh confirmed the incident, adding that investigations were underway.

Sharan Manthira Naidu, who called herself the victim’s aunt, was at a loss for words in the wake of the grisly incident.

“Funny that her funeral is on her birthday. What a way to celebrate your birthday. I have no more words,” said Sharan in a Facebook posting yesterday.

Just hours before, she had shared that her niece, Sameera, had been found dead.

The funeral will be held in Karak, Pahang, at around noon.