Soni Satti
“If a woman is raped and is pregnant, she must be told about her legal rights,” said the bench headed by Chief Justice S A Bobde.
Advocate V K Biju representing the petitioner’s side expressed his concern towards the minor girl who has been impregnated due to rape by one of her relatives. Biju insisted that such case matters need to be dealt with in due care and sensitivity.
The Supreme Court bench comprising of Chief Justice Bobde and justice A S Bopanna noted, “A girl who has been impregnated because of rape, she should know her legal rights, and options” and therefore, issued a notice to the Centre on a plea for setting up of medical boards in states and union territories to resolve cases of unwanted pregnancies of over 20 weeks for termination.
Section 3 of the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act 1971 prohibits termination of pregnancy after 20 weeks.
‘‘It is a different case when rape is not reported to you as a state. If it is reported, there can be some mechanism where you can follow up with the victim whether she is pregnant and what are her legal rights,” the bench told the law officer
After the complete hearing of the matter, the petitioner Advocate V K Biju showed his gratitude to the bench for the court’s decision in the matter.