Supreme Court admits plea against sec 377's validity

The Supreme Court on Monday asked the Centre to respond to a plea made by a Delhi hotelier challenging the constitutional validity of Section 377 of the IPC, that mandated up to a life sentence for the same-sex relationships.

A bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud tagged the petition filed by Keshav Suri, businessman and executive director of Lalit Hotels, with similar pleas pending before the constitution bench.

Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for Suri, contended that the main matter has been pending for over a year before the constitution bench.

"Let there be direction to the central government to make their stand clear. I want to know what their stand is," he asked.

Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Centre, then submitted that the reply, if any, would be filed in the matter.

The court, then said the reply, if any, can be filed by the Union government within a week.

Suri, who claimed to belong to the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) community, contended that he lived under the constant fear of being prosecuted for exercising his choice of sexuality.

He stated that he could not live a life of dignity and cannot have free relation with his partner.