A division bench of Chief Justice Mohit Shah and Justice Nitin Jamdar was hearing a public interest litigation filed by an NGO 'Salvation of Oppressed Eunuchs' seeking for eunuchs to be treated as humans with fundamental rights and also be given the right to vote.
The PIL has demanded that the eunuch community be treated as minority and that the laws applicable to the Scheduled Castes and Tribes should also be applicable to them.
"The atrocities and crimes committed against eunuchs should be taken seriously and the culprits be punished. Even passing of derogatory remarks should be punishable under law," the petition stated.
It also sought for sections 375 and 377 of IPC be amended to include transsexuals and eunuchs in the definition of the term 'Rape'.
Advocate Rui Rodrigues, appearing for the Central government, today told the court that the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment in consultation with its sectoral departments was looking into the grievances faced by eunuchs.
The bench observed that the government should be given time to consider the problem and come up with solution and posted the PIL for hearing in January 2013.
