SC to hear plea against legalisation of gay sex

The Supreme Court will take up on Monday the issue of legalisation and decriminalisation of gay sex among consenting adults in private.

The Supreme Court will take up on Monday the issue of legalisation and decriminalisation of gay sex among consenting adults in private.

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A bench of justices GS Singhvi and A K Ganguly would be hearing a bunch of petitions filed by gay rights activists and political, social and religious organisations who have opposed the Delhi High Court verdict decriminalising homosexual behaviour.

Several political, social and religious organisations have asked the Supreme Court (SC) to give a final verdict on the issue. Senior BJP leader BP Singhal, who had opposed legalisation of gay sex in the High Court, has challenged the verdict in the SC saying that such acts are illegal, immoral and against ethos of Indian culture.

Religious organisations like All India Muslim Personal Law Board, Utkal Christian Council and Apostolic Churches Alliance have also opposed the High Court's (HC) verdict.

The HC had, on July 2, 2009 declared the penal provision for gay sex among consenting adults as unconstitutional which was earlier a criminal offence punishable with up to life imprisonment.