India's top court says a colonial-era law making homosexuality a crime will remain in effect.

The decision dealt a blow to gay rights activists campaigning for years against strong religious opposition in India's deeply conservative society.

Supporters of gays, lesbians and transsexuals vowed to continue pressing for the removal of a law which makes gay sex punishable by up to 10 years in prison.

The court said in its ruling Wednesday that a High Court decision in 2009 to strike down the law was unconstitutional, as that it was for lawmakers _ and not courts _ to decide the matter.