Teenage rape victim moves HC to terminate unwanted pregnancy
   Date :04-Apr-2020

Teenage rape_1  
 
 
Staff Reporter :
 
A teenaged rape victim has moved the Nagpur bench of Bombay High Court seeking permission to terminate this unwanted pregnancy which is at an advanced stage. The girl was victim of sexual assault by a friend of her father and she was barely 12 years and 4 months old when she became pregnant due to this brutal rape. The petitioner, through her father, urged the High Court to permit her to terminate the pregnancy which is now in 22nd week. Justice V M Deshpande, while hearing the matter, immediately constituted a special medical board consisting of five doctors including the Dean of Chandrapur Government Medical College and at least two lady doctors, such as Gynecologist, Radiologist, Cardiologist, Neurologist, Pathologist.
 
The District Child Welfare Officer has been directed to take the victim girl before the medical board on April 6 and submit the report to the High Court on April 7. The High Court has asked the medical experts to examine the victim and give its opinion on whether continuance of pregnancy would pose risk to the life of the victim or cause grave injury to her physical or mental health. The board has been asked to opine whether there is a substantial risk that if the child is born, it will suffer from physical or mental abnormalities and whether there is any danger to life of victim girl looking at the advanced stage of pregnancy and whether it is medically feasible and advisable to terminate her pregnancy.
 
The victim and her parents belong to poor strata and obviously the accused took benefit of her helplessness to satisfy his lust. Her mother lodged report against the accused with Police Station-Shegaon in Chandrapur district, on March 14. Offence punishable under Sections 376, 376(2)(l)(j)(n), 506 of the Indian Penal Code and under Sections 3, 4, 5(j)(ii), 5(l), 5(m), and 6 of the POCSO Act was registered against him. The court engaged services of a panel lawyer from the legal services authority. The matter has been posted for next hearing on April 8 as the medical report is expected by April 7 afternoon. Adv S H Bhatia appeared for the victim. APP N S Rao represented the State.