16-yr-old rape victim seeks HC nod to terminate 21-week pregnancy
The victim, through her mother, said they visited a hospital to get the 21-week-old pregnancy terminated but the doctors refused it citing Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act, 1971
A 16-year-old rape victim has approached the Uttarakhand High Court seeking permission to terminate her pregnancy. The victim, through her mother, said they visited a hospital to get the 21-week-old pregnancy terminated but the doctors refused it citing Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act, 1971.
The alleged rape was reported in April this year. (HTFile)
{{^htLoading}} {{/htLoading}}
Hearing the matter, a single bench of Justice Manoj Tiwari on Friday directed Nainital’s chief medical officer to constitute a panel of three senior doctors who will examine the girl and her pregnancy and present the report to the court on July 11, when the matter has been listed for next hearing.
Pankaj Sharma, counsel for the petitioner, said after the alleged rape was reported in April this year, the girl was sent to Nari Niketan in Haldwani the same month. Later, in June, she was allowed to return home.
“Her parents went to doctor in June but were told them that according to Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act, 1971, the termination of pregnancy cannot be conducted after 20 weeks,” he said.
{{^htLoading}} {{/htLoading}}
{{^usCountry}}
Sharma said the victim and her mother submitted an application before the HC on Thursday and it came up for hearing on Friday.
{{/usCountry}}
{{#usCountry}}
Sharma said the victim and her mother submitted an application before the HC on Thursday and it came up for hearing on Friday.
{{/usCountry}}
According to Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act, 1971, termination is permitted for a broad range of conditions up to 20 weeks of pregnancy, like when its continuation is a risk to the life of a pregnant woman or child or the pregnancy is caused due to rape.
Neeraj Santoshi is the Chief of Bureau for Hindustan Times in Uttarakhand, where he leads the state reporting team while covering government, politics, environment, wildlife, Uttarakhand High Court, and issues shaping the Himalayan region. With more than two decades in journalism across conflict zones, he has covered politically sensitive regions and environmentally fragile landscapes, and focused on stories that combine public interest with in-depth storytelling. An alumnus of Pune University with a Master’s in Communication Studies, he has reported extensively from Jammu & Kashmir (2003-2010), Madhya Pradesh (2010 to 2018 ) and Uttarakhand (Since 2018), covering subjects ranging from insurgency, elections and governance to wildlife conservation, mining, climate change, agriculture, human rights and social justice. He has covered politics and legislative assemblies of both Jammu & Kashmir and Madhya Pradesh over more than a decade. Before taking over as Chief of Bureau in Uttarakhand, he served as Special Correspondent with Hindustan Times in Madhya Pradesh and earlier reported for both Hindustan Times and The Indian Express in Jammu & Kashmir, where he covered state politics, environment and insurgency-related developments. Over the years, his stories have focused on environmental degradation, wildlife, illegal mining, governance and the changing social fabric of Himalayan states and Central India. He is particularly interested in long-form explanatory journalism, and stories that explore the intersection of ecology, conservation, governance and society. Outside the newsroom, Neeraj enjoys reading widely on neuroscience, consciousness studies, Artificial Intelligence and quantum physics, with a special interest in Kashmiri Tantric Shaivist traditions. He is also passionate about wildlife, mountaineering and the Himalayas, interests that continue to inform his reporting and deepen his understanding of the region he covers.
