India’s SC Refuses To Review Verdict Criminalising Gay Sex

NEW DELHI – The SupremeCourt today reaffirmed thevalidity of Section 377 of theIndian Penal Code (IPC), underwhich sexual acts amongLGBTs (lesbian, gay, bi-sexualand transgender population) area criminal offence attracting amaximum punishment of lifesentence.The Delhi High Court haddiluted Section 377 of the IPCon July 2, 2009, holding thathomosexual acts among consentingadults in privacy were nocrime. However, the SupremeCourt set aside that verdict onDecember 11, 2013, makingsuch acts illegal once again.The Central Government and34 others had come to the SCseeking a review of its ruling.The SC rejected their pleastoday. “We have gone throughthe review petitions and theconnected papers. We see noreason to interfere with theorder impugned. The reviewpetitions are, accordingly, dismissed,”a Bench comprisingJustices HL Dattu and SJMukhopadhaya said in a brieforder. The Bench also rejectedthe petitioners’ plea for oralhearing.Besides the Centre, otherswho had filed the reviewpetitions included the NazFoundation, which had takenthe initiative to get the law dilutedby the high court, the VoicesAgainst Section 377 and severalindividuals