India court legalises gay sex in landmark ruling

In a historic decision, India's Supreme Court has ruled that gay sex is no longer a criminal offence.

The ruling overturns a 2013 judgement that upheld a colonial‑era law, known as section 377, under which gay sex is categorised as an "unnatural offence".

The court has now ruled discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation is a fundamental violation of rights.

Members of the LGBT community in India have gone into celebration mood.

The ruling, which ended an 18‑year legal battle, was met with cheers while some campaigners broke down into tears.

But strong opposition to the ruling remains amongst religious groups, and in conservative and rural communities.

Speaking to BBC News after the verdict was delivered, Shagun Aggarwal a member of the LGBT Community has questioned the necessity to hide her identity.

Aggarwal says she cannot do anything about her identity and she is a citizen of India and believes that people need to understand that we have equal rights.

[Source: BBC News]