NEW DELHI: A five-judge constitution bench of the Supreme Court will hear a curative petition by the NGO Naaz Foundation and others seeking a relook at the apex court's verdict upholding the validity of Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code that criminalises homosexuality.
A three-judge bench of the court, comprising Chief Justice T S Thakur and Justices A R Dave and J S Khehar, referred the curative petition to a five-judge bench as senior counsel Kapil Sibal argued that the issue involved a question of far-reaching constitutional importance and must be heard by five-judge bench.
The Constitutions bench would be constituted in the future.
There were eight curative petitions seeking a re-examination of the Supreme Court order overturning the Delhi High Court judgement of December 11, 2013 decriminalising Section 377 (unnatural sexual offences).