Suhaas Joshi

Apex court lawyer Suhaas Joshi has filed a criminal complaint in a Delhi metropolitan court against online shopping site Snapdeal and a sex-toy e-commerce website that closed down a month ago, arguing that they violated section 377 of the IPC that bans “carnal intercourse against the order of nature”, reported QZ.

Joshi, who told Quartz that he “only wanted to test the law” so that “either parliament should debate and discuss the issue or state should come to the rescue of all those affected”, also complained under the IPC’s section 292, 292A, 293 and 294, dealing with public obscenity. The court asked the police to investigate the matter on 5 February.

Joshi singled out products such as “anal lubes and massagers that are shaped like the male phallus”, clarifying that he was not against homosexuality but wanted to point out the double standard of the law banning the sexual activity, while allowing for the sale of items used in such activities.