The Supreme Court is set to hear arguments against Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) on Tuesday, 1 May, reported News18 Courtroom. The Chief Justice of India agreed to grant an early hearing, after members of the LGBTQ community approached the Supreme Court.
Fresh petitions too, were filed in the Supreme Court against Section 377, which criminalises homosexual sex, reported ANI.
The Supreme Court of Monday, 23 April, had issued a notice to the Centre on a plea filed by hotelier Keshav Suri, challenging the criminalisation of gay sex between two consenting adults.
A bench comprising of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices AM Khanwilkar and DY Chandrachud had asked the Centre to file a response to Suri's plea within a week, and also said that his petition will be heard along with other pleas on the same matter by the Constitutional bench.
“Owing to Section 377 of the IPC continuing on the statute book, various adult and consenting members of the LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender and queer) community continue to face the threat of false prosecution and some are actually facing it,” Suri’s plea had said.
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