The Calcutta High Court on Monday directed the West Bengal government to set up a medical committee to examine the status of a rape survivor who wants to terminate the pregnancy resulting from the incident.

The petitioner’s counsel submitted to the court that she had suffered severe mental trauma and therefore the court could allow medical termination of the pregnancy, which was said to be between 20 and 24 weeks.

Justice Sabyasachi Bhattacharyya directed the state government to constitute a medical committee to examine the condition of the 27-year-old petitioner.

The court directed the state government to submit a medical committee report to it on February 2 clearly stating the pros and cons of medical termination of pregnancy for the petitioner.

Lawyers for the parties pointed out that the 1971 Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act stipulates that if the pregnancy is between 20 and 24 weeks, the pregnancy can be terminated under certain conditions.

The state’s lawyers, while not objecting to the prayer, submitted that, according to the petition, the unfortunate rape occurred on July 28, 2023, so the pregnancy may have occurred earlier than claimed.

Justice Bhattacharya, observing that the court was not an expert in the field, said a medical committee needed to be constituted to determine the pros and cons of the petitioner terminating the pregnancy medically.

He directed that the medical committee will consist of at least two members who must be senior doctors in their respective fields, one of whom must be from the field of gynecology and the other from the field of paediatrics.

The court directed that a medical board should be constituted at the earliest and the petitioner should be examined at the state-run MR Bangur Hospital.

Justice Bhattacharyya directed that the matter will be heard again on February 2.

(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from associated news agency – PTI)