Indian Penal Code, 1860 · Chapter XVI: Of Offences Affecting the Human Body · Of Unnatural offences

Section 377: Unnatural offences

The Indian Penal Code, 1860 was repealed and replaced by the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 from 1 July 2024. It still applies to offences and proceedings from before that date.

Source: India Code (Legislative Department), the text of the Act as it stood before its repeal. Words in square brackets [ ] were inserted or substituted by later amending Acts, and *** marks words omitted by an amendment. The amendment footnotes are not reproduced here.

Supreme Court judgments citing the section 377

• Nazim & Ors. v. The State of Uttarakhand
  2025 INSC 11846 October 2025Appeal(s) allowed

  Whether the prosecution has succeeded in establishing, beyond a reasonable doubt, a complete chain of circumstances leading only to the conclusion of guilt of the Appellants, or whether the circumstances leave room for…

• Jai Prakash v. State of Uttarakhand
  2025 INSC 86116 July 2025Partly allowed

  Allegation against the appellant herein that he committed a forceful rape and strangulated a 10 year old girl child. The punishment handed down to the appellant by the Courts below was of death penalty. Whether the…

• Amol Bhagwan Nehul v. The State of Maharashtra & Anr.
  2025 INSC 78225 May 2025

  Issue arose as regards the correctness of order passed by the High Court dismissing the petition whereby the appellant sought quashing of criminal case against him that the appellant forcibly had sexual intercourse with…

• IN RE: RECRUITMENT OF VISUALLY IMPAIRED IN JUDICIAL SERVICES versus
  2025 INSC 3002 March 2025Disposed of

  Whether visually impaired candidates can be said to be ‘not suitable’ for judicial service; Whether the amendment made in Rule 6A of Madhya Pradesh Judicial Services (Recruitment and Conditions of Service) Rules, 1994…

• Rinku Baheti v. Sandesh Sharda
  2024 INSC 101418 December 2024Disposed of

  Issue arose whether the petitioner-wife is entitled to the transfer of the divorce petition; and whether this Court, upon the application filed by the respondent-husband, can exercise its powers u/Art. 142(1) of the…

• involved and in I.R. Coelho v. State of T.N. [(1999) 7
  2024 INSC 8355 November 2024Reference answered

  (1) Whether Article 31C (as upheld in Kesavananda Bharati case) survives in the Constitution after amendment to the provision by the forty-second amendment was struck down by the Supreme Court in Minerva Mills case; and…

• IN RE : SECTION 6A OF THE CITIZENSHIP ACT 1955 versus
  2024 INSC 78917 October 2024Reference answered

  Issue arose as regards the constitutional validity of s.6A of the Citizenship Act; does s.6A offend preambular values like fraternity; s.6A, if ultra vires Part II of the Constitution; does s.6A create an unreasonable…

• Sukanya Shantha v. Union of India & Ors.
  2024 INSC 7533 October 2024Disposed of

  Matter pertains to caste-based discrimination in the prisons in the country.

• Just Rights for Children Alliance & Anr. v. S. Harish & Ors.
  2024 INSC 71623 September 2024Disposed of

  What is the scope of Section 15 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 (POCSO); what is the underlying distinction between sub-section(s) (1), (2) and (3) respectively of the POCSO; whether, mere…

• Nipun Malhotra v. Sony Pictures Films India Private Limited & Ors.
  2024 INSC 4658 July 2024Disposed of

  The appellant is a person with arthrogryposis and is aggrieved by the manner in which persons with disabilities have been portrayed in the movie titled ‘Aankh Micholi’. The appellant seeks guidelines against filmmakers,…

• Navas @ Mulanavas v. State of Kerala
  2024 INSC 21518 March 2024Partly allowed

  Appellant-accused was held guilty for the offences punishable u/ ss.302, 449, 309, IPC and sentenced accordingly. For the offence punishable u/s.302, IPC, he was sentenced to death. High Court confirmed the conviction,…

• Association for Democratic Reforms & Anr. v. Union of India & Ors.
  2024 INSC 11315 February 2024

  The matter pertains to the constitutional validity of the Electoral Bond Scheme which introduced anonymous financial contributions to political parties; as also the constitutional validity of the provisions of the…

• Union of India and Others v. Dilip Paul
  2023 INSC 9756 November 2023Appeal(s) allowed
• Supriyo @ Supriya Chakraborty & Anr. v. Union
  2023 INSC 92017 October 2023Disposed of
• State of U.P. v. Sonu Kushwaha
  2023 INSC 6035 July 2023Appeal(s) allowed
• Prakash Nishad @ Kewat Zinak Nishad v. State of
  2023 INSC 56119 May 2023Appeal(s) allowed
• Ravinder Singh v. The State Govt. of NCT of Delhi
  2023 INSC 42625 April 2023Disposed of
• Ramesh Chandra Sharma v. State of Uttar
  2023 INSC 14420 February 2023Appeal(s) allowed
• Rahul v. State of Delhi Ministry of Home Affairs & Anr.
  2022 INSC 11767 November 2022Appeal(s) allowed
• X v. The Principal Secretary, Health and Family Welfare Department, Govt. of NCT of Delhi & Anr
  2022 INSC 74029 September 2022Disposed of
• Manoj Pratap Singh v. The State of Rajasthan
  2022 INSC 65224 June 2022Dismissed
• Pappu v. The State of Uttar Pradesh
  2022 INSC 1649 February 2022Partly allowed
• Smruti Tukaram Badade v. State of Maharashtra & Anr
  2022 INSC 3911 January 2022Disposed of
• Lochan Shrivas v. The State of Chhattisgarh
  2021 INSC 88214 December 2021Partly allowed
• State of Tamil Nadu & Anr. v. National South Indian River Interlinking Agriculturist Association
  2021 INSC 77723 November 2021Appeal(s) allowed
• State of Gujarat & Anr. v. Narayan @ Narayan Sai @ Mota Bhagwan Asaram @ Asumal Harpalani
  2021 INSC 65320 October 2021Appeal(s) allowed
• Lt. Col. Nitisha & Ors. v. Union of India & Ors.
  2021 INSC 21025 March 2021Disposed of
• Anokhilal v. State of Madhya Pradesh
  2019 INSC 139918 December 2019Disposed of
• H Manoharan v. State by Inspector of Police, Variety Hall Police Station, Coimbatore (Review Petition (Crl.) Nos.446-447 of 2019) in
  2019 INSC 12167 November 2019Disposed of
• Ravi S/O Ashok Ghumare v. The State of Maharashtra
  2019 INSC 11143 October 2019Disposed of
• Rajan v. The Home Secretary, Home Department of Tamil Nadu and Ors.
  2019 INSC 57425 April 2019Disposed of
• Atma Ram & Ors. v. State of Rajasthan
  2019 INSC 51611 April 2019Dismissed
• Aarish Asgar Qureshi v. Fareed Ahmed Qureshi & Anr.
  2019 INSC 27026 February 2019Appeal(s) allowed
• Dattatraya @ Datta Ambo Rokade v. The State of Maharashtra
  2019 INSC 24721 February 2019Appeal(s) allowed
• Rajendra Pralhadrao Wasnik v. State of Maharashtra
  2018 INSC 119412 December 2018Disposed of
• Mahender Chawla & Ors. v. Union of India & Ors.
  2018 INSC 11535 December 2018Disposed of
• Navtej Singh Johar & Ors. v. Union of India Thr. Secretary Ministry of Law and Justice
  2018 INSC 7906 September 2018Disposed of
• Justice K S Puttaswamy (Retd.), and Anr. v. Union of India and Ors.
  2017 INSC 80124 August 2017Reference answered
• Ms. Eera Through Dr. Manjula Krippendorf v. State (Govt. of NCT of Delhi) & Anr.
  2017 INSC 65821 July 2017Disposed of
• Mukesh & Anr. v. State for NCT of Delhi & Ors.
  2017 INSC 4485 May 2017Dismissed
• Ramesh and Others v. State of Haryana
  2016 INSC 104922 November 2016Dismissed
• Supreme Court Women Lawyers Association v. Union of India & Anr.
  2016 INSC 116311 January 2016Disposed of
• Ved Mitier Gill v. Union Territory Administration, Chandigarh and Others
  2015 INSC 26426 March 2015Dismissed
• National Legal Services Authority v. Union of India and Others
  2014 INSC 27515 April 2014Allowed
• Anil @ Anthony Arikswamy Joseph v. State of Maharashtra
  2014 INSC 11920 February 2014Disposed of
• Suresh Kumar Koushal and Another v. Naz Foundation and Others
  2013 INSC 82311 December 2013Appeal(s) allowed
• Shankar Kisanrao Khade v. State of Maharashtra
  2013 INSC 28125 April 2013Disposed of
• Rajendra Pralhadrao Wasnik v. The State of Maharashtra
  2012 INSC 11929 February 2012Dismissed
• Amit v. State of Uttar Pradesh
  2012 INSC 10023 February 2012Partly allowed
• Childline India Foundation & Anr. v. Allan John Waters & Ors.
  2011 INSC 22518 March 2011Appeal(s) allowed
• Pawan v. State of Uttaranchal
  2009 INSC 26826 February 2009Dismissed
• Jameel v. State of Maharashtra
  2007 INSC 4316 January 2007Dismissed
• State of Kerala v. Kurissum Moottil Antony
  2006 INSC 8129 November 2006Appeal(s) allowed
• Sakshi v. Union of India
  2004 INSC 38326 May 2004Dismissed
• State, Govt. of NCT of Delhi v. Sun Il and Another
  2000 INSC 55129 November 2000Disposed of
• State of Haryana and Ors. v. Mohinder Singh
  2000 INSC 557 February 2000Appeal(s) allowed
• Ram Bihari Yadav v. State of Bihar and Ors.
  1998 INSC 19121 April 1998Dismissed
• State of Haryana v. Ghaseeta Ram
  1997 INSC 20528 February 1997Dismissed
• Anll Kumar Mahsi v. Union of India and Anr.
  1994 INSC 27120 July 1994Dismissed