The Bombay High Court on Tuesday permitted a 14-year-old girl from Maharashtra’s Raigad to abort her pregnancy, if she so desires. The minor, a survivor of sexual assault by a man she had met on Instagram, was in the 24th week of pregnancy.

The case came to light when the girl’s mother noticed that she had not menstruated for six months. A hospital visit confirmed the pregnancy, leading to the registration of a First Information Report (FIR) against the accused.

Advocate Manisha Jagtap, appearing for the minor who is currently admitted to a hospital in Raigad, submitted that the girl was unwilling and unable to carry the pregnancy to full term. Under the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act, a pregnancy may be terminated for up to 20 weeks without court approval. Since the girl had crossed this threshold, court permission was required for the procedure.

On June 6, the High Court directed the Surgeon of the Civil Hospital, Alibaug, Raigad, to set up a Medical Board to assess the minor’s condition. The court also asked the Board to evaluate her mental health. The Board later submitted its report stating the girl was anemic, and the termination procedure could only be carried out after correcting her hemoglobin levels.

When the matter was heard again on Tuesday, the bench interacted with the Medical Board doctors, who confirmed that the minor was now fit to undergo the procedure. The doctors also assured the court that there were no foreseeable complications from the procedure that might affect the girl’s ability to conceive in the future—an aspect that had concerned the court.

With these assurances, the High Court granted permission for the termination. Additionally, it directed the trial court handling the FIR under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act to expedite the determination of interim compensation for the minor.