UN in India welcomes decriminalisation of gay sex by SC

The United Nations (UN) in India welcomed Thursday's landmark ruling by the Supreme Court of India that decriminalised gay sex.

A five-judge Constitution bench, headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dipak Misra and comprising Justices D Y Chandrachud, Rohinton Fali Nariman, A M Khanwilkar and Indu Malhotra, issued the verdict on a bunch of petitions filed to scrap Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

The section, which dates back to British colonial era, criminalised sexual acts between lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transgenders and intersex (LGBTI) individuals and communities.

"The UN in India sincerely hopes that the court's ruling will be the first step towards guaranteeing the full range of fundamental rights to LGBTI persons. We also hope that the judgment will boost efforts to eliminate stigma and discrimination against LGBTI persons in all areas of social, economic, cultural and political activity, thereby ensuring a truly inclusive society," read the statement.

"The focus must now be on ensuring access to justice, including remedy; effective investigations of acts of violence and discrimination; and effective access to economic, social and cultural rights," it added.

-ANI