The Chhattisgarh High Court has allowed a 13-year-old- rape victim to abort her 26-week old foetus.
The father of the victim had pleaded before the court to permit abortion.
After going through the medical report, the court of Justice Sanjay K. Agrawal on Monday permitted for the termination of pregnancy.
During hearing on the plea, the court directed that the abortion must be done under the supervision of five specialist doctors to avoid any threat to life of the victim girl.
The court also ruled that the total expenditure of the abortion will have to be borne by the State Government.
Earlier in its previous hearing, the court had sought the medical report on abortion from five specialist doctors of Dr Bheemrao Ambedkar Medical College Hospital, Raipur. In the report, the doctors offered their view that the victim girl as well as the foetus both might be at ‘high risk’.
However, the court ruled that keeping in view the age of the victim, abortion is permitted with the supervision of expert doctors to safeguard her life.
Earlier, the father of the victim girl had approached doctors for abortion but they, citing the law, had denied to do the operation.
later on, he approached the High Court and pleaded for abortion. Following which, the court sought medical report for the termination of pregnancy.
Meanwhile, the rape accused is at present under judicial remand.