<i>Indian court rules gay sex legal </i>
Indian gay activists celebrate the New Delhi High Court ruling decriminalising gay sex in the capital city yesterday. The top Indian court issued the landmark ruling decriminalising gay sex between consenting adults, overturning colonial-era legislation that outlawed homosexuality. Photo: AFP
New Delhi's highest court issued a landmark ruling Thursday that decriminalised gay sex between consenting adults in India by declaring a colonial-era ban on homosexuality unconstitutional.
The decision by the Delhi High Court was hailed by gay activists here as a historic step in their struggle to achieve equal rights in a conservative society that largely regards homosexuality as a taboo illness.
The court ruled that the existing ban on homosexual acts was discriminatory and therefore a violation of individual rights guaranteed by the constitution.
Homosexuality has been illegal in India since 1860 under a statute introduced by British colonial rulers that banned "carnal intercourse against the order of nature." Conviction carried a fine and maximum 10-year jail sentence.
Although prosecutions were rare, gay activists said police used the law to harass and intimidate members of their community.
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