Darul Uloom Deoband welcomes Supreme Court verdict on homosexuality

Leading Islamic seminary Darul Uloom Deoband on Thursday welcomed the Supreme Court verdict declaring gay sex illegal and asked the Centre not to repeal Section 377 that criminalises homosexuality.

"Homosexuality is an offence under Islamic law and 'haram' [prohibited] in Islam," Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Darul Uloom Deoband Maulana Abul Khlik Madrasi said in Muzaffarnagar on Thursday.

He also asked the government not to repeal Section 377 of the IPC which criminalises homosexuality.

The Supreme Court yesterday set aside the landmark Delhi High Court judgement of 2009 decriminalising gay sex and threw the ball in Parliament's court for amending law.

The judgement of the two-judge bench headed by Justice G S Singhvi revived the penal provision making gay sex an offence punishable with life imprisonment.