A Bihar court has framed a charge sheet alleging that a man tortured his wife for dowry before their divorce, officials said Monday. The accused then underwent a sex change operation and married a man. Phul Sharief, in his 30s, is a resident of Sonepur village under Rosra police station in Samastipur district, some 100 km from here. Sharief's sex change came to light last Friday when he appeared in a local court dressed as a woman. "Phul Sharief stunned everyone including the judge and lawyers in the court when he informed them that he had undergone a sex change operation after being divorced by his wife. Sharief then married a man," a court official said. Sharief told the court that he was deeply hurt after being divorced by his wife. Soon after that he had decided to change his sex, officials said. Sharief was married to Ashraful Khatoon in 2000. After two years his wife filed a case alleging that he had tortured her for dowry. In 2005, Sharief was granted bail after reaching a compromise with her. "After the court granted bail, my wife divorced me and we finally separated. It pained me and I underwent sex change two years ago," Sharief said in court. Sharief works with a theatre company in Dewaria district in neighbouring Uttar Pradesh.
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