Overview
- Acting on a suo motu PIL arising from a writ by a POCSO victim seeking termination, a bench of Justices Saumitra Dayal Singh and Indrajeet Shukla reviewed Uttar Pradesh’s implementation of MTP protocols.
- The court noted that termination is permitted up to 20 weeks and, in specified rape-related circumstances, up to 24 weeks, yet many survivors learn of pregnancies too late due to lack of awareness and procedural clarity.
- The bench found execution gaps in the state’s SOPs and criticized police practices that prioritize prosecution over the human needs and rights of victims.
- It urged a comprehensive, closely monitored policy with designated nodal officers and multidisciplinary support, including counselors, probation officers, and medical experts from first report through treatment or termination.
- The court called for ready access to pregnancy tests to prevent breaching the 24-week limit and for victim-oriented schemes covering adoption options, compensation, and preservation of foetal material for trial, with the next hearing set for March 13, 2026.