A sixteen-year-old rape victim has approached a local fast track court to seek termination of pregnancy saying she is a minor and is not fit enough to give birth to a child.
In an application moved before special judge of fast track court, Bimlesh Tanwar, last week, the victim, who claims to be in the fourth month of her pregnancy, has asked the court for permission to abort the child. Sources said the court recorded her statement on Friday and would hear the counsel of the accused on September 20 before passing an order.
The application has been learnt to have been made in a rape case in which Surjit Kumar and seven others are facing trail under various sections of Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) Act
The victim’s counsel Narinder Sharma informed the court that the victim, who is from Mullana assembly segment, was taken to Karnal on April 5 earlier this year with the connivance of a female relative, adding that her parents had lodged a missing person’s report at the Saha police station.
He said the girl was rescued by the police on July 18, after the police raided several locations.
{{/usCountry}}He said the girl was rescued by the police on July 18, after the police raided several locations.
{{/usCountry}}Interestingly, Kumar has also filed a petition in the local civil court seeking injunction to restrain her from aborting the child, claiming that he was a lawful husband stating that they were married at Gurdwara.
Surjit had moved the civil court, the victim’s counsel said they had received court summons in the case but there was no stay in the matter, which will now be heard in November.