Rape victim’s pregnancy termination: Supreme Court seeks report from medical board

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court has ordered the Karnal Civil Hospital in Haryana to constitute a medical board and examine the 14-year-old rape victim who is 26-week pregnant. The court has asked the board to file a report on whether abortion is feasible.

A Supreme Court bench headed by Chief Justice SA Bobde along with Justice AS Bopanna and Justice V Ramasubramanian was hearing a petition of a 14-year-old girl who became pregnant after being raped by her cousin.

The girl wanted to terminate her pregnancy.

The court has issued notices of the Central and Haryana governments and sought a response by March 5 on the petition through advocate VK Biju.

The bench said in its order, “Medical Board-District Government Hospital, Karnal should examine the girl and submit her report about the feasibility of her request for miscarriage.”

Significantly, Section 3 of the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act, 1971 prohibits miscarriage after twenty weeks.

The next hearing on the case is on Friday.