SC begins hearing on pleas to decriminalise homosexuality

he Supreme Court today made it clear that it would not venture into the issue of marriage relating to the LGBTQ community or inheritance in live-in relationships, as it commenced a crucial hearing on a clutch of pleas seeking decriminalisation of consensual gay sex.
The apex court said it would only deal with the question of validity of section 377 of the Indian Penal Code which criminalises consensual sex between two adults of the same gender.
A five-judge constitution bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra said it will examine the correctness of its 2013 verdict that had set aside the Delhi High Court judgement decriminalising gay sex under section 377.
Section 377 refers to 'unnatural offences' and says whoever voluntarily has carnal intercourse against the order of nature with any man, woman or animal, shall be punished with imprisonment for life, or with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to 10 years, and shall also be liable to pay a fine.