HC permits abortion at 24 weeks for minor

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court granted permission on Tuesday for the Dean of Government Medical College to terminate the 24-week-old foetus of a 14-year-old girl from Tiruvannamalai.

The minor girl was admitted to the hospital after feeling unwell for several days, and it was later revealed by the doctors that she was six months pregnant.

The incident occurred after her relative, Satish Kumar, misbehaved with her while her parents were away and threatened her to remain silent about the situation. A case was thereby registered against Satish Kumar at the Chengam All Women Police Station and the committee for the legalisation of abortion had suggested that the teenager’s life would be at risk if she continued her pregnancy to full term.

Consequently, the victim’s father moved the Madras High Court, stating that his daughter was not willing to carry the foetus as she wanted continue her studies and requested that the Dean of the college be ordered to abort the foetus.

During the hearing of the plea, Justice M Dhandapani ordered that the Dean of Government Medical College, Tiruvannamalai, dissolve the foetus within two weeks and dispose of the petition.