Indian Supreme Court Defers Landmark Gay Case

The Supreme Court of India on Tuesday deferred its hearing of petitions about the landmark decision of the Delhi high court that decriminalized gay sex in 2009.

According to the Hindustan Times, "A bench headed by Justice G S Singhvi adjourned the matter without specifying the date of the next hearing and said the same would be taken up after summer vacations."

Groups have filed petitions for and against the Delhi high court decision, which struck down section 307 of the Indian Penal Code, a remnant of British colonial era law that punished "unnatural offenses" with sentences of up to life in prison. In a historic move for gay rights in India, the high court struck down the law in the case of consenting adults.

In February the Supreme Court refused to include the armed forces as a party to the petitions against the ruling, the Hindustan Times reports.