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New Delhi, July 10: The Supreme Court on Tuesday began hearing a batch of pleas seeking scrapping of Section 377 of IPC which criminalises homosexuality. Earlier on Monday, the apex court had rejected Centre’s plea to postpone Tuesday’s hearing. A bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra, Justice AM Khanwilkar and Justice DY Chandrachud refused to adjourn the matter when the Centre sought time to file its response to the petitions. Also Read - A Muslim Homosexual Character in a Popular Series: Meet Vikas Kumar, Aarya's ACP Khan Who's Breaking The Stereotype | Interview

The court said the matter had been pending for sometime and the Centre should have filed its response, adding: “We will go ahead with the scheduled hearing. We will not adjourn it. You file whatever you want during the hearing.” Also Read - Homophobia: Russian Politician Alerts President Putin Against Rainbow Ice Cream Allegedly Promoting Homosexuality, Matter to be Investigated

Section 377 refers to ‘unnatural offences’ and says whoever voluntarily has carnal intercourse against the order of nature with any man, woman or animal, shall be punished with imprisonment for life, or with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to 10 years, and shall also be liable to pay a fine. Also Read - Disgusting! 55-Year-Old Man Rapes Cow In Bhopal, Arrested For Having Unnatural Sex

The apex court had in 2013 restored the criminality of the sexual relationship between persons of the same sex, after the Delhi High Court had decriminalised it in 2009.