The Supreme Court has dismissed review petitions seeking to overturn an October 2023 judgment that refused to legalise same-sex marriage

The Supreme Court has dismissed review petitions seeking to overturn an October 2023 judgment that refused to legalise same-sex marriage. The five-judge Bench, led by Justice B.R. Gavai and including Justices Surya Kant, B.V. Nagarathna, P.S. Narasimha, and Dipankar Datta, found no error in the original judgment.

The Bench reviewed the judgments delivered by former Justices S. Ravindra Bhat and Hima Kohli, as well as the concurring opinion of Justice Narasimha, and concluded that the views expressed were in accordance with the law. Consequently, the review petitions were dismissed.

The petitions had argued that the verdict forced queer couples to remain in the closet and lead dishonest lives. While the judgment acknowledged the discrimination faced by queer partners, it denied them judicial relief, leaving the matter to government policy and legislative action.