HC DIRECTS POLICE TO PROVIDE PROTECTION TO GAY COUPLE FROM THEIR FAMILIES

DEHRADUN: The Uttarakhand high court has directed US Nagar district senior superintendent of police (SSP) to provide police protection to a gay couple who has filed a petition in the court seeking protection from their families.

The directions were issued by a division bench of chief justice RS Chauhan and justice NS Dhanik on Thursday while hearing the petition filed by the couple on November 15.

Vikas Anand, counsel of the petitioners, said the couple, aged 21 and 23, wants to cohabit but their families are opposed to this.

“So, they approached the HC and sought police protection so that they can live together. After hearing the matter, the HC ordered SSP Udham Singh Nagar and Station House Officer of Rudrapur to provide police protection to the two youths. Notices have also been issued to both the families,” he said.

Anand said both the youths, who are in their 20s, decided to live together, but due to the lack of consent and severe opposition from the family members, they approached high court for police protection.

Anand said the Supreme Court in 2018 had ruled that gay sex among consenting adults was not an offence, while reading down section 377 of the Indian Penal Code. He said the apex court had ruled that any discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation violates fundamental rights and that the section 377 had failed to make a distinction between consensual and non-consensual acts.

AFTER OPPOSITION FROM THE FAMILY MEMBERS, THE GAY COUPLE SEEKS HC INTERVENTION FOR PROTECTION