Cabinet puts Section 377 in Supreme Court's hands India News and Travel Times Provides India-centric and other News and Features

The Union Cabinet on Thursday, decided to ask Attorney General G E Vahanavati to assist the Supreme Court in arriving at an opinion on Delhi High Court's verdict to decriminalize consensual sex among consenting adults. Giving details of the Cabinet meeting to the media, Union Information and Broadcasting Minster Ambika Soni said the government would not oppose the Delhi High Court's order decriminalizing homosexuality. "The Attorney General would help the Supreme Court in arriving at an opinion on the Delhi High Court judgment," Soni said. On July 2 the Delhi High Court gave the verdict to decriminalize the homosexual activities, which was a criminal offence under Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Several people, including Yoga guru Baba Ramdev approached the apex court against the Delhi High Court's verdict. Legalizing gay sex would have a catastrophic effect on the society's moral fabric, said Ramdev in his petition. Earlier, on August 17, hearing the petition, the Supreme Court sought the opinion of the Union Cabinet on the matter. The Union Ministries of Home, Health and Family Welfare and Law had agreed that the judgment would not be challenged by the Government in the Supreme Court. Union Home Minister P Chidambaram, Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad and Law Minister M Veerappa Moily had held series of meetings to arrive at a conclusion on the issue.