Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code:
Unnatural offences: Whoever voluntarily has carnal intercourse against the order of nature with any man, woman or animal, shall be punished with imprisonment for life, or with imprisonment of either description for term which may extend to ten years, and shall also be liable to fine.
Explanation: Penetration is sufficient to constitute the carnal intercourse necessary to the offense described in this section.
In 2009 the Delhi High Court ruled that Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code was unconstitutional, a decision hailed by GSM (Gender and Sexuality Minority) activists as a big step towards equal treatment under the eyes of the law. On December 11, 2013 the Supreme Court reversed the Delhi High Court’s ruling on the British-era law, effectively re-criminalizing homosexuality.
It was a shocking about-face in what had, in recent years, been a slow but hopeful progression in the right direction