Umamageshwari Maruthapan
The Supreme Court has directed a government hospital in Haryana to constitute a medical board for examining the safety concerning the termination of a 14-year old girl’s 26-week pregnancy and to submit a report by 5th March 2021.
Advocate V. K. Biju, the petitioner’s counsel, had urged the hospital to look into this matter immediately citing the maturity of the pregnancy.
“Can the medical board immediately look into this?… She is already in her 26 weeks,” he stated.
The Bench of Chief Justice S A Bobde and Justices AS Bopanna and V Ramasubramanian had also issued a notice to the Haryana Government seeking its response in this issue by March 5.
The Bench sought the submission of the medical report and the response of the Government before it decides on the matter.
The petitioner, a rape victim, had requested before the Top Court to grant permission for terminating her 26-week pregnancy. She alleged that her cousin’s brother had repeatedly raped her which led to her pregnancy. The petition also mentioned the health complications associated with her pregnancy.
Under Section 3(2)(b) of the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act (1971), aborting a foetus exceeding 20 weeks of pregnancy is prohibited unless permitted by the court.