(LiveMint)
The Supreme Court on Monday sought the centre’s views on a challenge to a Victorian era law criminalizing sexual intercourse by consenting adults of the same sex. The matter was brought before a bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra, who issued notice to the centre and sought its reply within a week.
The court was hearing a plea by Keshav Suri, executive director at Lalit Suri Hospitality Group, who sought a declaration that the right to choice of sexual orientation was embedded in Article 21 (right to life and personal liberty) and any discrimination against a person on the basis of exercise of this choice was in violation of the constitutionally guaranteed fundamental rights.
He also sought scrapping of Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860, that criminalizes consensual intercourse between same-sex adults. In his petition, Suri argued he was facing discrimination on account of his sexual orientation and for being passionate about the cause of inclusion of members of the LGBTQ community in economic and social spheres.
