PROFILE OF THE PETITIONERS

A BHARATNATYAM EXPONENT, A JOURNALIST, A CHEF, A HOTELIER AND A BUSINESS EXECUTIVE. THIS MOTLEY GROUP OF CELEBRITY GAY RIGHTS ACTIVISTS CAME TOGETHER TO CHANGE HISTORY, SUCCEEDING IN GETTING THE SUPREME COURT TO DECRIMINALISE GAY SEX.

NAVTEJ JAUHAR

Adancer and rights activist, Jauhar's legal fight to decriminalise gay sex began in 2016 when he, along with other activists including his partner, filed a petition in the Supreme Court against Section 377 of the IPC which criminalised such relationships. For years, Jauhar refused to be defined by his sexuality and rose to be a doyen in his chosen profession. The 59 year old and his partner, journalist Sunil Mehra, 63 were convinced by a lawyer friend to be at the forefront of the fight.

NSUNIL MEHRA

ot just a well known journalist, Mehra is also an actor and exponent of dastangoi, a 13th-century form of oral storytelling. In fact, he met his partner Jauhar when he went to write a profile on the Bharatnatyam exponent. While neither he nor his partner initially planned to play an active role in the battle, in 2016 when Menaka Guruswamy, a lawyer friend, suggested it was time to give a human face to the battle they acquiesced.

AMAN NATH

Nath, 61, is a well-known writer and architectural restorer. He is also the co- founder and co-chairman of India's famous boutique chain of heritage hotels the Neemrana Group, along with his partner late Francis Wacziarg. The couple has an adopted daughter named Aadhya Nath. Born and brought up in New Delhi, Nath completed his education with a post-graduate degree in medieval Indian history from Delhi University.

RITU DALMIA

It was a 2013 statement from Supreme Court Justice GS Singhvi that he had never “met a gay person” which spurred celebrated Chef Ritu Dalmia to take on activism to decriminalise gay sex. Thursday as the Supreme court took the historic decision, Dalmia was quoted in a news website as saying, “a smile stuck on my face. This is a moment of relief”. Born in Kolkata to a Marwari business family, she joined her family business of marble stone at the age of 16. In 1993, at the age of 22 she started her first restaurant. She is the chef and co-owner of the popular Italian restaurant Diva in New Delhi.

KESHAV SURI

3 3-year-old Keshav Suri is an executive director of The Lalit Suri Hospitality Group. He is the son of the late hotelier, Lalit Suri, who was the founding chairman and owner of Bharat Hotels, which runs the famous Lalit Suri Hospitality Group. The group's night-club, Kitty Su, a brain-child of Keshav himself, works towards an inclusive society.