MADURAI
The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Thursday allowed the termination of pregnancy of a 17-year-old girl, a special child with disabilities. The court was hearing the petition filed by the mother of the girl who had sought the relief for her daughter.
Taking cognisance of medical reports filed before the court, Justice Pushpa Sathyanarayana allowed the termination of the pregnancy of the girl from Ottapidaram in Thoothukudi district. Special Government Pleader J. Padmavathi Devi submitted the report to the court.
In her petition, the mother of the girl said her daughter, a special child with disabilities, was sexually assaulted by S. Ponraj, 55, when the family members were away. She said her daughter was four months’ pregnant.
The woman also sought appropriate police protection and compensation, claiming that the perpetrator belonged to an influential family. Based on her complaint, the police had secured the accused and filed a case under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012. The man has been remanded in judicial custody.
The court was hearing second such petition filed within a span of two weeks that sought a similar relief. Last week, the court had allowed the termination of 24-week pregnancy of a woman with special needs after the woman’s mother moved the High Court seeking the relief for her daughter.
