Kerala's first transgender bodybuilder Praveen Nath ends life by suicide; Wife attempts to kill self

Thrissur: Kerala's first transgender bodybuilder Praveen Nath committed suicide on Thursday. He breathed his last at the Thrissur Medical College Hospital while undergoing treatment after reportedly consuming poison. 

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Nath and his transgender partner Rishana Aishu got married on Valentine's Day this year. There were rumours on social media that the two are going to end their marital life. However, Nath had refuted rumours in a Facebook post.

According to reports, he came under the cyber attack following rumours of their separation. This made Nath mentally depressed which led to suicide. 
Following his death, Aishu attempted suicide on Friday by consuming cockroach pills. She has been admitted to the Medical College hospital. Alleging online media to be responsible for the death, the transgender community has filed a complaint with the Chief Minister and DGP seeking legal action.

Praveen Nath won the Mister Kerala contest in the transgender category in 2021. He was a finalist in an international bodybuilding championship in 2022. The following year, he underwent sex reassignment surgery after recognising that "he" was imprisoned in a female body.

At Maharaja's College in Ernakulam, Praveen and two other transgender students enrolled in undergraduate courses in 2018. It was made possible by a government circular that authorised additional seats for transgender applicants in all courses at universities and affiliated arts and science colleges.

In 2020, Praveen started bodybuilding. A year later, Praveen won the Mr. Thrissur title after training extremely hard. He joined Sahayatrika, a group for the LGBTQIA+ community with offices in Thrissur, and was appointed advocacy coordinator.

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