Karnataka high court headed by Justice A S Bopanna, on Monday rejected a petition to terminate pregnancy filed by the mother of an alleged teenage rape survivor.
The Times of India reported that the court decided to dispose the petition after getting the 15-year-old girl, who was pregnant for the second time in 12 months, examined by two medical committees. During the examination, the committee found out that this had been the second time the girl had been pregnant in 12 months. The first termination was carried out by KC General Hospital team.
Both committees said that girl’s pregnancy had crossed 20 weeks, that is, it had crossed the limit prescribed under the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act of 1971, hence the warned the court against granting relief to her, reported TOI.
Report from the Vani Vilas Hospital committee reportedly said the general condition of the girl is good and as per the conditions mentioned under section 3(2)(b) of the Act and so, does not need a termination. The report pointed to a gestation period of 26-28 weeks.
The girl’s mother, who works as a domestic help in north Bengaluru, who had asked for the termination of pregnancy claimed that her daughter had been kidnapped and raped, reported TOI.