Fresh petitions filed in SC against Section 377

Fresh petitions were filed in the Supreme Court on Friday against Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), which criminalises homosexuality.

The petitioners, who moved the apex court are Ashok Rao Kavi, Humsafar Trust and Arif Jaffar.

Their pray comes just six days after hotelier Keshav Suri, too, filed a plea in this regard in the top court.

They all sought a hearing from the apex court, which agreed to hear it on Tuesday (May 1).

In response to Suri's plea, the apex court on April 23 sought the Centre's reply on the plea seeking scrapping of Section 377.

Earlier in 2009, the Delhi High Court had decriminalised Section 377, but the order was later set aside by a Supreme-Court bench.

Categorised as an unnatural offence, consensual sexual intercourse between persons of same sex is termed 'against the order of nature' under Section 377 of the IPC, and can be punishable by life imprisonment.