Government sees 'reason' in HC's gay judgment

NEW DELHI: The view that the Delhi HC judgment de-criminalizing sex among consenting adults of the same sex is "���reasonable and well-balanced" has gained ground in the Manmohan Singh government. As reported on the day of the verdict, the Centre is unlikely to oppose the order in the Supreme Court.

The government feels that the judgment touched but on a small part of Article 377 when it decriminalized sex between two consenting adults of the same sex in private, and that the alarmist interpretation that the law itself has been upturned should not guide the Centre���s action.

There was no bone to pick with this as it was in keeping with the laws of most societies with stable democratic and judicial institutions, said a top government official.

To balance it, however, there is a view that the government may consider either amending Section 377 or enacting a new law to signal its zero tolerance towards the abuse of minors and forced homosexual sex.

Section 377 does provide a deterrent, but the view is that the Centre may look at the option of making it unambiguous by making the description of offence more elaborate.