(Image source from: Supreme Court adjudges gay-sex illegal})
11.12.13 will go down in the history as a sad day for Indian gay right activists. In a verdict that will have far-reaching implications for LGBT activists across the country, the Supreme Court of India trashed Delhi High Court's judgment that decriminalized gay sex, and adjudged gay-sex as illegal.
Handing out a verdict on a bunch of petitions filed by NGO 'Naz Foundation', BJP leader B P Singhal, All India Muslim Personal Law Board, Utkal Christian Council and Apostolic Churches Alliance, the apex court maintained the constitutional validity of Section 377 of Indian Penal Code that makes anal sex a punishable offense.
It said as long as the Parliament doesn't delete Section 377 of the IPC, the court can not legalize this kind of sexual relationship, the SC bench observed.
“A bench of Justices G S Singhvi and S J Mukhopadhaya had reserved judgment on March 27 last year on a bunch of petitions, many arguing in support and some against the HC verdict, after hearing arguments on a day-to-day basis for over a month.”
The judgment comes nearly a year and nine months and is the last verdict to be pronounced by Justice Singhvi who retires today (11-12-13).
Section 377 (unnatural offenses) of the IPC makes gay sex a criminal offense that entails punishment up to life term. In short, to be gay is to be un-Indian now.
AW: Suchorita Dutta Choudhury
