BOMBAY: [A soldier named] Jones was arrested in women’s guise by C.I.D. Inspector Quilter for the alleged offence of desertion and was produced at the Police Court in the same guise.

He was remanded to Police custody for 15 days. His response to the name “Betty Herbert”, which he had assumed, attracted laughter in the Court. The report which the police submitted states that the accused [had taken up] residence in a hotel as a woman named Betty Herbert. He had requested the Manager to serve food in his chamber in the hotel as he was a gentle-woman. He is also reported to have [indicated] to the management that his voice was a bit hoarse as he was suffering from throat trouble.

The said “Betty Herbert” the Police report further states, [accompanied] her young friends to cinema. Betty’s mystery life was not to last long. [Her identity was stumbled upon] by a hotel servant.

This created sensation and a suspicion about the identity of Betty. On Friday when Betty was returning to the hotel from the cinema along with a male friend, he was arrested by Inspector Quilter and produced before the Court in women’s guise. (Dawn, Delhi)

Published in Dawn, October 25th, 2014