'So even in the society like England, the minimum age for homosexuality in private is 21 years,' said the lawsuit, adding the Delhi High Court's act of allowing homosexuality at the age of 18 years is 'unjustified and without reason'.

'In other words, the maturity and inability to comprehend the consequences of an act is not well developed in an individual of 18 years,' said the lawsuit.

'Ironically, the high court ruling allows 18 year old men to indulge in homosexuality, while even the law of the land bars men's marriage below the age of 21 and girl's marriage below the age of 18.

'Even psychologically and physically, the age of 18 years is the age of changes and turmoil where the inquisitiveness and peer group pressure play a major role in the personality development of the child,' said the DCPCR lawsuit.

The lawsuit said the high court appeared to be influenced by the fact that homosexuality has been legalized in some Western countries like the Netherlands, Canada, Belgium, South Africa, Norway and South Africa, which, however, are culturally very different from India.

The lawsuit contended that India and China, which are home to over two-fifths of the world's population, have entirely different cultures.