Ahmedabad: Following the Supreme Court's directive, a medical team on Thursday gave permission for termination of a minor rape victim's 25-week-old pregnancy though the law allows abortion only until the 20th week.
"A panel of five doctors — four from civil hospital and a private practitioner — has given the nod for abortion," superintendent of the civil hospital M M Prabhakar told PTI.
The Supreme Court had on Tuesday last come to the rescue of the 14-year-old victim who had been denied permission to abort the foetus by the sessions as well as the high court. The apex court said she can undergo abortion if medical experts allow it.
The abortion is likely to be performed on Friday, Prabhakar said.
READ ALSO: HC no to rape survivor's abortion plea
The girl became pregnant after being allegedly raped by doctor Jatin Mehta whom she had visited for treatment of typhoid earlier this year.
The Supreme Court bench of Justices A R Dave and Kurian Joseph had said it would ask the civil hospital here to get the girl examined by gynaecologists and a clinical psychologist.
"If they say that she has to be operated upon then let them do it with the consent of the girl and her parents," the apex court had said.
Earlier Gujarat high court's Justice Abhilasha Kumari had refused permission for abortion on July 24 on the ground that the law does not allow it after 20 weeks of pregnancy.
The girl's father had first moved the sessions court seeking termination of pregnancy, saying she was in no position to take care of the child.
The apex court had also directed that in case of abortion, a DNA test of the foetus should be carried out which can help in the trial of the accused doctor.
"The girl is in shock due to the sexual assault and the psychiatrist found suicidal tendency in her," Prabhakar said.
Father of the victim, when asked by reporters, said she was in trauma and expressed hope that she would be able to get over it one day.
"My daughter, who is studying in class 10, wanted to become a doctor, but after this unfortunate incident she was not able to attend the school," he said.
He also said the girl had told the sessions court earlier that she was agreeable to removal of foetus.
