[dropcap]T[/dropcap]HE Karnataka High Court in a recent order directed a hospital in Bangalore to allow the termination of a 21-week pregnancy of a rape survivor.
The court also directed the investigating officer to preserve the foetus and carry out its DNA investigation at a forensic laboratory.
The rape survivor approached the court seeking directions to the hospital to terminate her 21-week pregnancy, in contravention of Section 3 (2)(b) of Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act that prohibits abortion after 20 weeks.
On a plea by the survivor, a single judge bench of Justice Alok Aradhe also directed the District Legal Services Authority to disburse compensation of Rs 3 lakh under the Karnataka Victim Compensation Scheme within three weeks from the date of receipt of a certified copy of the order. The court also instructed the Deputy Commissioner to grant a sum of Rs 75,000 in favour of the survivor as compensation.
