Gay sex: Hotelier Keshav Suri seeks to quash section 377

The debate for decriminalising gay sex between consenting adults was reignited on Monday when the Supreme Court issued notice on a plea filed by hotelier Keshav Suri seeking to quash section 377 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Suri, the proprietor and Executive Director of Lalit Hotels, is the latest celebrity to file a plea in the top court asserting his fundamental right to choose his sexual partner. Before Suri, five celebrities – Navtej Singh Johar (a Sangeet Natak Akademi Award-winning Bharatnatyam dancer), Sunil Mehra (Journalist), Ritu Dalmia (Chef) Aman Nath (founder Neemrana chain of hotels) and Ayesha Kapur (Chef), filed a petition in court shortly after the historic August 2017 judgment on one's fundamental right to privacy.

On August 25, a nine-judge bench pronounced that privacy was a fundamental right and in a majority view held that "discrimination against an individual on the basis of sexual orientation is deeply offensive to the dignity and self-worth of the individual. Equality demands that the sexual orientation of each individual in society must be protected on an even platform."

Issuing notice, a bench led by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra along with Justices AM Khanwilkar and DY Chandrachud directed the Centre to file their reply within a week.

A curative plea filed by Naz Foundation, challenging the Supreme Court 2013 order that overturned a Delhi High Court judgement which decriminalised gay sex is still pending in the top court.