The Supreme Court granted permission on Monday for a 14-year-old alleged rape survivor to undergo a medical termination of her nearly 30-week pregnancy.
Acting under Article 142 of the Constitution, which empowers it to issue any necessary order for complete justice, a bench led by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud directed the dean of the Lokmanya Tilak Municipal Medical College and General Hospital (LTMGH) in Sion, Mumbai, to promptly assemble a team of doctors for the procedure.
The court overturned the Bombay High Court’s decision rejecting the plea filed by the minor’s father for terminating her pregnancy.
Earlier on April 19, the Supreme Court had ordered a medical examination of the minor and requested a report from Mumbai’s Sion Hospital to assess her physical and psychological condition regarding the termination.
According to the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act, the maximum limit for pregnancy termination is 24 weeks for married women and those in special categories, including rape survivors and other vulnerable women such as minors.