Abc Through Natural Guardian Father Rajendra Jagannath Aglave v. The Union Of India And Others

( 1 )

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY

BENCH AT AURANGABAD WRIT PETITION NO.8374 OF 2019 ABC Age 13 years (Minor) Through her Father and Natural Guardian Rajendra Jagannath Agalave, Age: 40 years, Occ: Labour, R/o. At Post Shirur, Tal. Vaijapur, Dist. Aurangabad PETITIONER

VERSUS

1.

The Union of India, Through Secretary, Ministry of Health, Nirman Bhavan, New Delhi 2.

The State of Maharashtra Through Secretary, Health & Family Welfare Department, Mantralaya, Mumbai-32 3.

Chief Medical Officer, Civil Hospital, Aurangabad Tal. & Dist. Aurangabad RESPONDENTS Mr Raj S. Devdhe, Advocate for the petitioner; Mr D.G. Nagode, Advocate for respondent No. 1; Mrs A. V. Gondhalekar, A.G.P. for respondent Nos. 2 & 3 CORAM : PRASANNA B. VARALE

( 2 ) AND R.G. AVACHAT,JJ.

DATED :

11th JULY, 2019 ORAL ORDER :

The petitioner is a minor aged 13 years. The present petition is filed seeking permission to terminate the pregnancy. It is held that the pregnancy is of 23 weeks and 03 days.

2.

According to learned Counsel for the petitioner, the pregnancy is caused by rape. The F.I.R. has been lodged.

3.

The petitioner is a minor. In view of that, the provisions of POCSO Act would apply.

4.

The petitioner has been examined and it is submitted that the pregnancy is of 23 weeks and 03 days as on 10th July, 2019. 5.

The complaint is also registered and filed, which reads thus: (to protect the identity of victim, the following details are purposely kept blank) "

पथमखबरददननक०४.०७.

२०१९मम(......) वय३५वरवयवसनयगदहणम

( 3 ) (jk.....)a (....) le{k पपलमससटशनदशऊरयटथटयटऊनसनगतटदक, ममवरमल दठकनणचमरनहणनरमअसनवरमलदठकनणममनझटपतम(....), दपनमलमuko (....) (ABC) वमलगन(....) असटएकतरनहतपय.

तसटचआमहमदमसऱयनचमशटतम करनउपजमदवकनभनगदवतप.

मनझममपठममलगम(....) लहननमलगन(....) हट औरनगनबनदयटथटमनझटभनऊ(....) यनचयनकडटरनहणयनसनठमवदशकणनसनठम आहटत.

मनझममधलममलगम(....) दहआमचयनसपबतचरनहतअसन(.....) ;k शनळटत(....) दशकतआहट. frph tUerkjh[k (...) मलगम(...) दहमनगमलचनर मदहनयनपनसननटहममपपटदमखतआहट, पपटनचनतनसवनटतपअशनतकनरम मनझयनकडटकरमतहपतम.

ममवमनझयनपrh नटदतलन(...) यटथटखनजगम दवनखननयनतदपनतमनवटळटसदनखवसनऔरधपपचनरघटतलटहपतट.

मनगमलदहन ददवसनपसवर(....) दहलनजनसतपमनणनतपपटदमखमचनतनसहपऊलनगलयननट आमहमदतलनऔरनगनबनदयटथमलहटगडटवनरहहससपटलमधयटदनखदवलट. तयनवटळम तटथमलडहकटरननमसपनपगनफफकटलयनवरमलगम(....) २२आठवडनचमगरपदर असलयनचटसनदगतलट.

हटऐकसनआमहनलनकनयकरनवटहटकनहमचसमजलटननहम.

तयननतरआमहमघरमयटऊनमलमलननककफकनयघडलटहटदवचनरणयनचनपयतन कटलनपरनतम(....) दहवयननटलहननअसलयननटदतलनकनयझनलटहटकनहमचसनगतन यटतनवहतट. मम, मनझटपतमवभनऊ(....) असटदमळसन(....) दहसदवशवनसनत घटऊनकनहमपकनरघडलनकनहटमनगमल१०ददवसनपनसनसततदवचनरनतहपतप दतनटआजरपजममलनसनदगतलटदक, अनदनजट५६मदहनयनपसवररनतमचयनवटळम सनततटआठवनजणयनचयनसममनरनससनडनससनठममहणसनघरनजवळशटतनमधयटगटलट असतनएकमलगनआलनवतयननटमनझटततडदनबसनमनझयनशमजबरदसतमकटलम हपतमअसटसनदगतलट.

दतचयनसपबतअसटकगतयकरणनरनवयकफकपणहपतनहट दतलनसनगतनयटतननहम.

दतनटहटसनदगतलयनबरपबरलनगलमचआमहमआजरपजम यटऊनतकनरदटतआहट.

मनगमलअनदनजट५६मदहनयनपसवररनतमचयनवटळमसनततट

( 4 ) आठवनजणयनचयनसममनरनसमनझममलगम(....) सनडनससनठममहणसनघरनबनहटर शटतनमधयटगटलमअसतनएकनअजनतइसमननटदतचटततडदनबसनदतचयनसपबत जबरदसतमशरमरसनबनधकटलटवतयनमधयटमनझममलगम२२आठवडनचमगरपदर रनदहलमआहट.

सनदरअजनतइसमनदवरदमनझमतकनरअसनतयनचयनवर कनरवनईहपणटसदवनतमआहट.

मनझमवरमलतपनसतमपणमनझयनसनगणयनपमनणट कहमपमटरवरटनईपकटलमतमममवनचमनपदहलमतममनझयनसनगणयनपमनणटबरपबर आहट. समक."

6.

Explanation 1 to Section 3 of the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act, 1971 provides that where any pregnancy is alleged by the pregnant woman to have been caused by rape, the anguish caused by such pregnancy shall be presumed to constitute a grave injury to the mental health of the pregnant woman. Sub Section 2 of Section 3 provides that subject to the provisions of Sub Section 4, a pregnancy may be terminated by a registered medical practitioner if the continuance of the pregnancy would involve a risk to the life of the pregnant woman or of grave injury to her physical or mental health. Reading explanation 1 to Section 3(2)(b) conjointly with Section 3(2)(b) (i) it is manifest that pregnancy can be terminated if the continuance of pregnancy would involve a risk to the life of the pregnant woman or of grave injury to her physical or mental health and if the pregnancy is alleged by the pregnant

( 5 ) woman to have been caused by rape, the anguish caused by such pregnancy shall be presumed to constitute a grave injury to the mental health of the pregnant woman. It is further provided in Sub Section 3 that whether the continuance of a pregnancy would involve such risk of injury to the health as is mentioned in Sub Section 2, account may be taken of the pregnant woman's actual or reasonable foreseeable environment. If the pregnant woman has not attained the age of 18 years, then the consent in writing of the guardian is mandatory. The present petition is moved by the guardian of the minor pregnant woman.

7.

Considering all the aforesaid aspects of the matter, it would be appropriate to grant permission to the petitioner to terminate the pregnancy. The natural guardian of the petitioner i.e. her father shall file an affidavit to the Court about his consent for the termination of pregnancy. 8.

The writ petition stands disposed of accordingly. No costs. 9.

Authenticated copy be given.

[R.G. AVACHAT, J.] [PRASANNA B. VARALE, J.] sjk