A software engineer with a leading IT firm in Bangalore has been arrested after his wife complained that he was a homosexual and recorded his 'gay' encounters on hidden cameras in their house
Bangalore: A software engineer of a leading IT firm here has been arrested after his wife complained that he was a homosexual and caught his "gay" encounters on hidden cameras in their house, a senior police official said.
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The 32-year-old man has been charged under IPC section 377 (unnatural offences) on a cheating complaint from his wife against him and his parents, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central) Sandeep Patil told PTI here today.
Under the section, 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 ten years, and shall also be liable to fine.
This section was struck down by Delhi High Court in 2009 but was restored by Supreme Court last year. The techie's wife, a dentist, had lodged a complaint with Malleshwaram police on October 20, against her husband and her in-laws for cheating her. "My in-laws knew that their son was gay.
There was no need for them to ruin my life by arranging this marriage," she said. The man was arrested by the police on October 26, Patil said, adding that investigations were on to find out whether the parents of the man had cheated the victim, concealing that their son was gay.
The woman, who married the techie about a year ago, alleged that her husband did not establish physical relations with her and insisted on sleeping in different rooms, Patil said. The complainant claimed the techie was using lip gloss and preferred feminine accessories, he said. Suspecting that the techie was suffering from inferiority complex, the woman had suggested that the matter be referred to a doctor but the accused refused, Patil said.
After she failed to get any support from her in-laws, she decided to find out the truth herself by installing video cameras in every room of her house after her neighbours told her that in her absence many male guests were visiting. "The victim was not convinced by her husband's reply that the male guests were his business associates and decided to probe the matter by installing miniature video cameras in every room of her house," Patil said.
On returning home, after spending a week in her hometown Tumkur, the woman was shocked to find her husband illegedly had sexual encounters with various men after she reviewed the video footage, Patil said. The police action in arresting the techie has come in for flak from a section of people in social media who questioned invocation of the penal provision. The arrest has brought into focus the debate on section 377.
The Delhi High Court in its verdict on July 2, 2009 allowed a plea of gay rights activists and legalised gay sex among consenting adults. However, this order was set aside by the Supreme Court in December last year which put the ball in Parliament's court to take a decision on the controversial issue, saying it is for the legislature to debate and decide on the matter.
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