The central legal point established in the judgment is the interpretation and application of the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act, particularly in cases involving minors and pregnancies resulting from rape.

JUDGMENT :

Gurpal Singh Ahluwalia, J.

1. This petition under Article 226 of the Constitution of India has been filed seeking permission for medical termination of pregnancy on the ground that the minor daughter of the petitioner was subjected to rape. Crime No. 525/2020 has been registered at Police Station Dharnavada, District Guna and the accused is behind the bars. However, her minor daughter aged about 12 years is pregnant and her pregnancy is detrimental to her health.

2. This Court by order dated 17/02/2021 had directed the CMHO, Guna to constitute a Medical Board including a Gynecologist within a period of two days to submit a report as to whether the termination of pregnancy of the daughter of the petitioner is possible or not. Furthermore, the counsel for the State was also directed to requisition the Case Diary.

3. Today, vide Document No. 2272/2021, the State has filed the report of CMHO, Guna along with the opinion of the Medical Board, which is reproduced as under :-

Áfr]
Jheku flfoy ltZu egksn;]
ftyk fpfdRlky;] xquk ¼e-Á-½
lanHkZ%& Øekad@esMhdy cksMZ@2021@xquk fnukad 18-02-21 ¼


In Refenence to eq-fp- ,oa Lok- vf/kdkjh i=½
fo"k;%& ekuuh; mPp U;k;k;y ds fjV~ fiVh'ku Øekad 3629@2021 vkns'k fnukad 17-02-2021 ds ikyu esa Fkkuk /kjukonk ds vijk/k Øekad 525@2020 dh ihfM+rk 12 o"khZ; euh"kk dq'kokg iq=h ukj;.kh ckbZ dq'kokg dh xHkZikr ds laca/k esa fuf'pr tkap fd;s tkus ckor~A
ekuuh; egksn;]
mijksDr lanfHkZr i= ds fo"k; esa euh"kk dq'kokg 12 o"khZ; iq=h ukjk;.kh dq'kokg ds xHkZikr ds laca/k esa vfHker ÁLrqr gSA
1- miyC/k nLrkostksa o ijh{k.k mijkar 12 o"khZ; euh"kk dq'kokg vfr ukckfyx o vifjiDr yM+dh gS ftls 18 lIrkg 4 fnu dk (USG Report) ftldh Áfrfyfi layXu gS o ijh{k.k ds vuqlkj½ xHkZ gSA dkuwuh MTP Act. ds vuqlkj 20 lIrkg rd xHkZikr dh vof/k gksrh gSA vr% ;g xHkZikr dh lhek esa vkrk gSA xHkZikr o Álo nksuksa gh bl voLFkk dh yM+dh ds fy;s tfVyrk o xaHkhjrk fy, gks ldrh gSA vr% xHkZikr fd;k tkuk mfpr gksxkA
2- mDr yM+dh ds tuukax vifjiDo gS iwoZ fodflr ugha gS ¼tSls lfoZDl vR;ar NksVh gS½ bl fLFkfr esa xHkZikr procedure high risk o High Morbidity fy, gSA vr% yM+dh dk xHkZikr procedure mPpre laLFkku ¼esfMdy dkWyst½ esa Skilled Management o Continious Monitoring esa 20 lIrkg gS ls iwoZ fd;s tkus dk vfHker gSA vr% OPD Ticket o jsQj fd;s tkus dh lgefr ds lkFk Áfrfyfi layXu gSA
3- bl yM+dh dk dsl ijh{k.k 15 week 4 days xHkZ ij 28-01-2021 dks L=hjksx fo'ks"kK dks bl gsrq lacaf/kr procedure Medical College esa djk;s tkus ds fy, Refer dk vfHker fn;k tk pqdk gSA ijh{k.k vfHker dh Áfrfyfi layXu gSA
layXu Áfrfyfi %&
1- ;w-,l-th fjiksVZ
2- vks-ih-Mh- fVfdV o jsQj daluZV
3- iwoZ ijh{k.k vfHker i=
fnukad 18-02-2021
gLrk{kj
MkW- 'kkjnk Hkksyk
fu'psruk fo'ks"kKk
gLrk{kj
MkW- vjk/kuk fot;oxhZ;
L=hjksx fo'ks"kK
gLrk{kj
MkW- m"kk pkSjfl;k
L=hjksx fo'ks"kK

4. It is submitted by the Counsel for the State that the prosecutrix is minor, aged about 12 years and she went missing on 10/10/2020 and was recovered on 12/01/2021 and as per the school certificate, her date of birth is 25/07/2006.

5. Considered the submissions regarding Medical Termination of Pregnancy.

6. The relevant statutory provisions, i.e. Sections 3 and 5(1) of the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act reads as under:-

"3. When Pregnancies may be terminated by registered medical practitioners.-

(1) Notwithstanding anything contained in the Indian Penal Code (45 of 1860), a registered medical practitioner shall not be guilty of any offence under that Code or under any other law for the time being in force, if any pregnancy is terminated by him in accordance with the provisions of this Act.

(2) Subject to the provisions of sub-section (4), a pregnancy may be terminated by a registered medical practitioner,-

(a) where the length of the pregnancy does not exceed twelve weeks if such medical practitioner is, or

(b) where the length of the pregnancy exceeds twelve weeks but does not exceed twenty weeks, if not less than two registered medical practitioners are. Of opinion, formed in good faith, that,-

(i) the continuance