Supreme Court upholds ban on homosexual sexual acts; will review

The Supreme Court said on Monday it will revisit its 2013 verdict upholding Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code that bans homosexual sexual acts, and referred a petition against the controversial colonial law to a larger bench.

A three-judge bench of the SC led by Chief Justice Dipak Misra said the 2013 judgment, which overturned a 2009 Delhi high court verdict that decriminalised consensual same-sex acts, was guided by the perception of majority and concept of social morality.

"Concept of consensual sex may have more priority than a group right and may require more protection. A section of people or individual who exercise their choice should never live in a state of fear," the court said.

"What is natural to one may not be natural to the other."