Police should inform victims of option of termination of pregnancy: Karnataka High Court
Bengaluru, Dec 13: While allowing a rape victim to terminate a pregnancy that was in the 24th week, the High Court has directed that all jurisdictional police should inform victims of the option available for termination of pregnancy so that they do not have to approach the courts at a belated stage.
The 17-year-old victim's father had approached the HC seeking for medical termination of her pregnancy. She is subject to a crime under Section 376 (rape) of the IPC and POCSO Act.
As a result of the crime she conceived and is currently 24 weeks pregnant. The petition claimed that the victim does not want to continue with the pregnancy and sought medical termination.
Justice Suraj Govindaraj, who heard the petition in his order on December 11, said such a situation would not have arisen "if at all such a decision had been taken earlier, then there would have been no requirement for the petitioner to approach this Court." .
It, therefore, directed the Principal Secretary, Home Department, to issue necessary directions to all jurisdictional and/ or investigating officers "to make known the availability of an option of medical termination of pregnancy, the procedure and process required to be followed for the same if the victim and/or natural guardian so desire.".
The investigating officer should also keep ready a member or representative of the jurisdictional Child Welfare Committee or the District Child Protection Unit, the court maintained.
The HC had also directed a Medical Board consisting of a gynecologist, pediatrician and psychologist to give an opinion on the fitness of the victim in the present case to undergo medical termination of pregnancy (MTP).
The report was submitted on December 12. The HC then allowed the MTP to be carried out.
The HC ordered that after the MTP, the tissue samples of the foetus should be preserved for the purpose of DNA analysis if required or ordered by the trial court in the POCSO case.
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Bihar: Over 150 children fall ill after consuming 'mid-day meal' in Saharsa
Saharsa (PTI): More than 150 children were taken ill after allegedly consuming food that was part of the mid-day meal in a school in Bihar’s Saharsa district, a senior official said on Thursday.
The incident occurred at a middle school in Baluaha village of the district.
The official said that 115 children were undergoing treatment at the Sadar Hospital, while around 50 students were admitted to Mahishi Public Health Centre.
“We received information that several children fell ill after consuming the mid-day meal in Baluaha. The children were initially treated at the primary health centre, but later, many were referred to the Sadar Hospital,” Saharsa District Magistrate Deepesh Kumar told reporters.
“According to doctors, the health condition of the children has improved, but they will be kept under observation for some time. There is no need to panic. Some kids are having mild fever. They are being treated accordingly,” Kumar said.
Meanwhile, family members of some children claimed that a snake was found in the container in which cooked pulses was stored at the school.
Of the 545 students present in the school, 200 had already eaten their meals by the time the snake was spotted, and later complained of stomach ache and vomiting, they said.
Regarding the claims, the DM said food samples have been collected from the school.
“We will be able to comment on this only after the results of the tested samples arrive,” he said.
