High Court Facilitates Formation of Board to Assess Feasibility of Rape Victim’s Pregnancy Termination

The Allahabad HC, placing due regard to the mental trauma suffered by a minor rape victim who was impregnated in the process, directed the Principal, Lala Lajpat Rai Memorial Medical College, Meerut, to constitute a board consisting of one each expert from the disciplines of  Gynaecology, Psychiatry, Radiology or Sonology and Paediatrics, to assess the feasibility of Medical Termination of Pregnancy. The time period for termination of pregnancy used to be 20 weeks and the same has been extended to 24 weeks by new amendments to the MTP Act. The Bench relied on the Explanation to Section 3 of the MTP Act, which allows for the anguish caused by pregnancy resulting from rape to be a valid reason to allow medical termination. The court has asked the Additional District Judge to act as a member-cum-coordinator of the Board and has constituted the board to submit their recommendations on the feasibility. The counsels for the petitioner had stated that it would be convenient for the petitioner to get her pregnancy terminated at Lala Lajpat Rai Memorial Medical College, Meerut.