Calcutta HC allows minor rape victim to terminate 24-week pregnancy

The Calcutta High Court on Monday permitted a minor gang-rape victim to get her 24-week pregnancy terminated.

A single-judge bench of Justice Sabyasachi Bhattacharya gave the direction after studying the report of the medical board formed after a directive from the same bench on August 17 to ascertain feasibility for termination of pregnancy.

Justice Bhattacharya also said that if the local government hospital at Tamluk in East Midnapore district of West Bengal, where the victim is resident, does not have the adequate facility for the same, the termination of pregnancy should be conducted at the state-run SSKM Medical College & Hospital in South Kolkata at the earliest.

As per legal norms, the medical practitioners can take decision of termination of pregnancy if it is 20 weeks or less. So since in this case, the period has passed, the parents of the victim have approached the Calcutta High Court seeking permission for termination of pregnancy. 

The minor girl was gang-raped in her locality leading to pregnancy.

Her parents came to know of it only after the symptoms of pregnancy became evident. But by then a lot of time has passed.

Thereafter, they informed the local police, who arrested three accused individuals who were also minors.

Currently, the three accused minors are in a juvenile correctional home.