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Thousands of participants wear a rainbow flag at the annual Gay Pride Parade in Sao Paulo, Brazil on Sunday, May 4, 2014.
(Associated Press)
In a landmark ruling, the Indian high court overturned a colonial-era law that prohibits homosexual acts.
The vote among the five judges was unanimous, Reuters reported.
"Any consensual sexual relationship between two consenting adults – gay, straight or lesbian – can not be considered unconstitutional," Indian Chief Justice Dipak Misra said Thursday as he read the judgment, according to the news agency.
Five citizens challenged the law, saying that they lived in fear of being harassed and prosecuted by police. The court rendered its decision on Thursday.
The current law made homosexual acts punishable by up to 10 years in prison. He was reinstated in 2013 after four years of decriminalization, Reuters reported.
Gay rights activists welcomed the decision.
"Thanks to all that has beaten for it, braving the worst prejudices. It's a good day for human rights, "wrote Meenakshi Ganguly, South Asia's director for Human Rights Watch, on Twitter.
In 2009, a New Delhi court of first instance declared unconstitutional section 377 of the law, which states that same-sex sexual relations were contrary to order. But the Supreme Court overturned this decision, saying it was up to Parliament to amend or repeal the law.
But the government left it up to the court to decide on the validity of the consensual sex act between two adults.
Associated Press contributed to this story.
