REUTERS/Francis Mascarenhas/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNEW DELHI, Oct 16 (Reuters) - India's top court will deliver a verdict on Tuesday on granting legal recognition to same-sex marriages, a ruling that has the potential to spark momentous changes in the world's most populous country. The case is seen as a milestone event for LGBTQ rights in India, following a historic 2018 judgement by the Supreme Court that scrapped a colonial-era ban on gay sex. A five-judge bench of the Supreme Court headed by the Chief Justice of India heard arguments in the case between April and May and reserved its order on May 11. The Supreme Court website showed late on Monday that the verdict is due to be pronounced on Tuesday. Members of India's lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer community (LGBTQ) say they face discrimination despite the 2018 judgement, and that the absence of legal backing for same-sex marriages violates their constitutional rights.

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Persons: Francis Mascarenhas, Shivam Patel, Arpan Chaturvedi, Bill Berkrot Organizations: Queer Azadi, REUTERS, Thomson Locations: Mumbai, India, DELHI, Taiwan, Nepal, Asia