The victim had approached the Punjab and Haryana High Court recently.
The medical board constituted by Nuh Civil Surgeon to examine a minor rape victim’s request for termination of her pregnancy has in its report said the continuation of it would not entail any danger to the life of the patient. Her family said the doctors have now declined her request for termination of the 25-week pregnancy.
The victim had approached the Punjab and Haryana High Court recently and last week the court had ordered the Civil Surgeon to constitute a medical board to examine “whether there is any abnormality in the foetus or as to whether continuance of the pregnancy would entail danger to the life of the petitioner”.
“Keeping in view of clinical examination and radiological examination, the board is of the opinion that there is no abnormality in the foetus and continuation of the pregnancy would not entail danger to the life of the patient,” the doctors panel said in the report. Victim’s father told The Indian Express that the doctors have said the pregnancy cannot be terminated at this stage. “My daughter has been depressed since the decision was communicated to us. She is unmarried. How will she face the society. She is saying she will kill herself. We have to keep a watch on her to see that she does not do anything to herself.”
The victim had come to know about her pregnancy at the stage of 16 weeks and four days, but due to the delay caused by doctors at the medical college, her family had to approach the High Court for the order after the pregnancy crossed the 20-week limit. Advocate Kamaldeep Kaur Jawandha, who represents the family before the High Court, said they will again approach the court for compensation of the victim. “We have already filed a case for investigation and now will file another plea for compensation of the victim,” she said.
High Court last week directed the SHO of the Women Police Station, Mewat in Nuh district to file an affidavit regarding the status of investigation in the rape case.