Calcutta High Court directs constitution of medical board on feasibility of abortion of minor rape victim

Kolkata (IANS). A single bench of Justice Sabyasachi Bhattacharya of the Calcutta High Court on Thursday directed the immediate constitution of a medical board to ascertain the feasibility of terminating the pregnancy of a minor girl who was gang-raped.

Justice Bhattacharya directed to constitute a medical board of four experts within 24 hours, which would conduct medical examination of the victim within 48 hours. Justice Bhattacharya has also directed that each of the four medical teams should have a gynecologist and a paediatrician.

The matter will be heard again on August 21 and based on the report of the medical board, the court will take a decision on abortion. The 11-year-old minor victim is 23 months pregnant.

As per the legal norms, if the pregnancy is 20 weeks or less, the doctors can decide for abortion. Since the period in this case has passed, the parents of the victim have approached the Calcutta High Court for permission to terminate the pregnancy.

The minor girl became a victim of gang rape in her locality and became pregnant. Her parents came to know about it only after the symptoms of pregnancy became apparent. But by then a lot of time had passed. Thereafter, he informed the local police, who arrested the three accused, who were minors.

At present, all the three accused are in the juvenile home.