Overview
- A vacation bench of the Delhi High Court issued the order permitting the minor to be admitted to AIIMS, New Delhi, for medical termination after the court signed the ruling on June 24.
- AIIMS’ medical board examined the girl and concluded she was medically fit for the procedure and that carrying the pregnancy would likely cause serious psychological harm.
- The court directed AIIMS to preserve fetal tissue for DNA testing needed in the criminal investigation into the rape and ordered the termination to be performed by a team of competent doctors under existing MTP rules.
- The Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi must pay for the procedure, the girl’s hospital stay and post‑operative care, and authorities must provide neonatal support and involve the Child Welfare Committee if the child is born alive.
- The order does not change the 24‑week limit in the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act but shows that courts can use extraordinary constitutional powers in individual rape cases where continuation would cause grave mental injury.