Government files plea against SC's orders on gay sex criminalisation

New Delhi, Dec 20: Though not entirely, we could definitely say that here's some news to cheer people up a bit. After protests at several places, the

today has finally filed a review petition against the

's order which said that

sex is a

.

Not just this, but it has also pleaded the court for an open hearing.

"The Govt has filed the review petition on #377 in the Supreme Court today. Let's hope the right to personal choices is preserved," Law Minister Kapil Sibal tweeted.

Last week, the top court had set aside a Delhi High Court verdict from 2009 saying that statute - Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code - which outlaws sex "against the order of nature" is constitutionally valid. Conviction carries a fine and a maximum 10-year jail sentence, reported NDTV.

The Delhi High Court had said Section 377 is a violation of the fundamental rights guaranteed by the Constitution. Religious groups appealed against its decision in the Supreme Court. The top court's bench was headed by GS Singhvi; the verdict came on the last day before his retirement.

"It is up to Parliament to legislate on this issue," Justice Singhvi had said.

"We see this as a betrayal of the very people the court is meant to defend and protect," Arvind Narayan, one of the lawyers representing a consortium of gay rights groups, had said aftet the ruling.

Although prosecutions under section 377 have been rare, gay activists have said that the police used the law to harass and intimidate members of their community.

OneIndia News