MADURAI: The Madurai Bench sought a medical report on the feasibility of aborting the foetus carried by a minor girl in an in-camera proceeding that was held on Tuesday.

The petition was filed by the victim's mother, a widow and a daily wager. According to the petitioner, her daughter, a Class VII student, got pregnant after being sexually assaulted by her relative. Since the petitioner came to know about the assault as well as the pregnancy of her daughter only after the gestation period crossed 23 weeks, she approached the court seeking relief.

The petitioner prayed for permission to terminate her daughter's pregnancy citing her age and health and also sought a direction to the government to provide her daughter with an interim compensation. Admitting the petition, the division bench comprising Justices R Subbiah and R Tharani, who ordered an in-camera proceeding in the presence of the victim, adjourned the case to Thursday with directions that a team of doctors should examine the victim and file report on her health condition.

Earlier, the victim, based on court direction, was examined by a doctor to determine her gestation period. The petition, which was previously heard by a single Judge, was transferred to the division bench on Friday.