Abandoned by her family, a 19-year-old rape victim, who is in her advance stage of pregnancy, has moved the Delhi High Court seeking medical and financial assistance to give birth to her child.
Issuing a notice to the Centre and the Delhi Government, Justice Rajiv Shakdher sought their replies by June 6 on the plea of the girl saying that she got pregnant pursuant to the rape and sought directions to the Ministry of Women and Child Development of the Central Government and the Health Ministry of the city Government to provide assistance to her to deliver the baby.
Appearing for the girl, counsel Nishit Kush and Vijay Kinger said due to social stigma, her family has abandoned her and she was now sheltered in one of her distant relative’s place. The counsel told the court that the victim was eight-month pregnant and needed medical treatment and care.
“The victim is in a pitiable financial condition and cannot meet the hospital expenses, for delivery of child,” her lawyer told the court.
The girl said she hailed from a very poor family and her family members were not able to meet the expenses for her treatment and abandoned her. “The stigma attached to deliver a child without marriage causes grave mental injury to the petitioner coupled with financial scarcity. The pregnancy caused by the rape and to carry a child in the womb as a result of conception through rape is extremely traumatic but also humiliating...,” said the plea, seeking a direction to Government to take care of the child after his/her birth till the child attains majority.
In her plea the victim said she was raped by her neighbour, one Sanjay Choudhury, in October last year and she was also threatened not to disclose the incident to anyone otherwise her brother will be killed.
The accused, who is already married, had raped the girl and threatened her that he will make nude pictures public.As per the physical examination on March 3, it was found that the victim was five months pregnant, her lawyer said. The victim, thereafter, lodged a complaint with Mansarowar Park Police station on March 4. The accused has not been arrested yet. She had moved the court to terminate her pregnancy, but doctors opined that the pregnancy could not be terminated as it was more than 20 weeks.