The Delhi High Court on Thursday decriminalised gay sex by striking down Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), quoting Jawaharlal Nehru to emphasise that the Constitution guaranteed homosexuals rights equal to what other citizens enjoy.

A bench of Chief Justice Ajit Prakash Shah and Justice S Muralidhar said that if not amended, Section 377 of the IPC would violate Article 21 of the Indian Constitution, which states that every citizen has equal opportunity of life and is equal before law.