Spell out stand on Section 377, SC tells Centre

New Delhi, April 23 

The Supreme Court on Monday asked the Centre to spell out its stand on a petition seeking to declare unconstitutional Section 377 of the IPC that criminalises homosexual activities between consenting adults.

Asking the Centre to respond within a week to Lalit Suri hospitality group head Kesav Suri’s petition, a Bench headed by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra ordered tagging of the petition with other petitions on the issue already referred to a Constitution Bench.

The top court is already seized of similar pleas petitions filed by celebrities such as dancer NS Johar, chef Ritu Dalmia and another hotelier, Aman Nath, against Section 377.

Suri submitted that being part of the lesbian, gays, bi-sexual, transgender and queer community, he has suffered mentally and been stigmatised on account of his sexual orientation,  at a personal and professional front. — TNS