'People's verdict' on homosexuality moved us: IITians who fought tooth & nail against section 377

Tanveen Kaur Randhawa was in her laboratory at the Indian Institute of Science in Bengaluru when the Supreme Court pronounced its judgement striking down article 377, the colonial-era law that banned consensual gay sex.

"I was overwhelmed, emotional, jubilant. It was a mix of emotions," Randhawa, an alumnus of IIT-Roorkee, said.

She was one of the petitioners who fought tooth and nail against the law in the apex court. "The decision will give the community visibility and confidence," she told PTI over phone from Bengaluru.

"For me," she said, "The judgement is empowering. It would give us the courage to come out and acknowledge our sexuality."