SC refuses to review its verdict on criminalising gay sex

In another setback to the LGBT community, the Supreme Court today refused to relook at its verdict criminalising gay sex in the country.
A bench of justices H L Dattu and S J Mukhopadhaya, in in-chamber proceedings, dismissed a bunch of petitions filed by the Centre and gay rights activists including noted filmmaker Shyam Benegal against its December 2013 verdict declaring gay sex an offence punishable up to life imprisonment.
With the dismissal of review plea, the petitioners are left with only one option to get relief -- by filing curative petition.
"We have gone through the review petitions and the connected papers. We see no reason to interfere with the order impugned. The review petitions are, accordingly, dismissed," the bench said in its brief order.

It also rejected the plea for oral hearing on the review petitions which are normally decided by judges in chamber without giving an opportunity to parties to present their views.
The Supreme Court had on December 11 set aside the Delhi High Court judgement decriminalising gay sex and thrown the ball into Parliament's court for amending the law.
The judgement revived the penal provision making gay sex an offence punishable with life imprisonment in a setback to people fighting a battle for recognition of their sexual preferences.