SC recalls earlier order allowing teen rape survivor to terminate her pregnancy

The Supreme Court on Monday recalled its earlier order allowing a 14-year-old rape survivor to terminate her pregnancy.The court held a chamber hearing with the victim’s mother and doctors of Mumbai’s Sion hospital that was earlier directed by the court to carry out the abortion. 
As the parents agreed to wait for the full term of pregnancy that is just a month away, the bench headed by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud recalled its earlier order. 
Earlier in the day, while taking up the matter in open court, the hospital had said that the mother of the victim was uncertain of going ahead with abortion following which the matter was heard in the chamber.On April 22, the apex court had allowed the teen rape survivor to undergo an abortion at over 29 weeks of pregnancy. The bench headed by CJI Chandrachud had underlined that continuing the pregnancy may harm the physical and mental health of the girl. 
“These are very, very exceptional cases where we have to protect the children…every passing hour is very crucial for her,” the bench said, directing for safe abortion of the minor.The girl’s mother had moved the Supreme Court after the Bombay high court on April 4 had rejected the request for a medical termination of the pregnancy. The HC had gone by an examination of a medical board of Mumbai’s JJ Hospital doctors.
Additional solicitor-general Aishwarya Bhati, who was representing the Centre, urged the bench to invoke its extraordinary powers under Article 142 to do complete justice in the case, citing the medical report that noted that continuing the pregnancy may impact the minor’s well-being.As per the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act, abortions past 24 weeks are typically prohibited unless the pregnancy poses a severe threat to the woman’s life or involves substantial fetal abnormalities.