Historic feat: India decriminalises homosexuality -- a timeline of events

The Supreme Court on Thursday, inits landmarkjudgement, decriminalised homosexuality in the country. The top court heard pleas challenging Section 377 and give its verdict on the same.

The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGTB) community and activists were elated with the outcome. Following the historic verdict, here's taking a quick look at the timeline of the events tied to Section 377, leading to the landmark judgement pronounced by the apexcourt today.

• The bid to decriminalise section 377 was initiated by an NGO, Naz Foundation. The petitioners from the NGO approached the Delhi High Court in 2001.
• The plea filed by Naz Foundation was dismissed in 2004 by the Delhi High Court, a review petition was also rejected until the NGO moved the Supreme Court in 2006.
• The Supreme Court in 2006 directed the Delhi High Court to hear the case.
• In 2008, a Delhi High Court bench reserved its verdict on the case.
• Delhi High Court pronounced a landmark judgement by decriminalising homosexual act between two consenting adults in 2009.
• The verdict was challenged in the top court which quashed the Delhi court's order and criminalised homosexuality again describing it as "legally unsustainable".
• In 2014, a review petition was filed in the Supreme Court which was rejected in 2015.
• The Naz Foundation again filed a curative petition in the Supreme Court, the case was forwarded to a constitutional bench in 2016.
• The final hearing on the case began in July this year.

The LGBT community activists had expressed their optimism as the hearing of petitions against Section 377 in the Supreme Court went underway on Thursday.

The homosexuality law, commonly known as Section 377, prohibited"carnal intercourse against the order of nature with any man, woman or animal".

The law made the offence punishable with life imprisonment, or with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to 10 years, with a fine.