In a major and unexpected blow to LGBT rights, India’s supreme court took a step back into the 19th century, overturning a lower court ruling that scrapped the country’s colonial-era that banned gay sex.  It means that a same-sex relationship is once again an “unnatural offence” and punishable by a 10-year jail term.

The shocker was met with protests from urban LGBT communities.  In its 2009 ruling, the Delhi High Court had described the law as discriminatory and said gay sex between consenting adults should not be treated as a crime.  But now, the Supreme Court decided that the lower court could not make the determination – only parliament could change Section 377 of the penal code, widely interpreted to refer to homosexual sex, with the formal wording prohibiting “carnal intercourse against the order of nature with any man, woman or animal”.

“It’s a black day for us,” said gay rights activist Anjali Gopalan, “I feel exhausted right now, thinking that we have been set back by 100 years.”

“This decision is a body-blow to people's rights to equality, privacy and dignity,” said Amnesty International’s G. Ananthapadmanabhan, “It is hard not to feel let down by this judgment, which has taken India back several years in its commitment to protect basic rights.”

Religious groups welcomed the ruling.