Centre files review petition against Supreme Court verdict on gay sex

New Delhi – The Union Governement filed a review petition in the Supreme Court on Friday over the apex court’s recent ruling on consensual sex between adults of the same gender.

Confirming the news, Law Minister Kapil Sibal said, “The review petition on SC’s verdict on Section 377 has been filed. We hope and believe the Supreme Court will consider the review petition. Our stand is clear on this issue, and that’s why we have filed a review petition.”

In a major setback for the largely closeted homosexual community in India, the apex court had on December 11 issued an order describing gay sex between consenting adults as a criminal offence.

The apex court had reserved its order in March last year, after day-to-day hearing in the case, which lasted an entire month.

The Delhi High Court had in 2009 decriminalised gay sex as provided in Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and had ruled that sex between two consenting adults in private would not be an offence.

Section 377 (unnatural offences) of the IPC makes gay sex a criminal offence entailing punishment up to life term. Senior BJP leader BP Singhal has challenged the high court verdict in the Supreme Court, saying such acts are illegal, immoral and against the ethos of Indian culture.

Religious organisations like All India Muslim Personal Law Board, Utkal Christian Council and Apostolic Churches Alliance too have challenged the judgement.