SC verdict on Article 377: Gay sex no more a criminal offense

New Delhi : Supreme Court on Thursday ruled a landmark verdict, scrapping the controversial Section 377- a 158-year-old colonial law on consensual gay sex. "LGBT Community has same rights as of any ordinary citizen. Respect for each others rights and others are supreme humanity. Criminalising gay sex is irrational and indefensible," said Chief Justice Dipak Misra, who headed the five-judge bench hearing the case. 

The Supreme Court had started hearing petitions against the ban on Article 377 in July this year.

What Supreme Court said on Article 377?

Primary objective of having a Constitutional society is to transform the society progressively; Constitutional provisions should not be interpreted in literal sense.

Sexual orientation of an individual is natural and discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation is a violation of Freedom of Expression.

LGBT Community has same rights as of any ordinary citizen. Respect for each others rights, and others are supreme humanity. Criminalising gay sex is irrational and indefensible.

The provision of IPC had resulted in collateral effect in that consensual sex between LGBT person is criminalised and is violative of Article 14.

What is Article 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 by up to 10 years in jail under the 1861 law.

The decision has been hailed massively across the country, read reactions below: