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National
Chhattisgarh HC Allows Late Abortion for Minor Rape Survivor
✍️ LawChakra
🗓 08 Jul 2026, 09:02 AM
👁 2
The Chhattisgarh High Court has ruled that compelling a minor rape survivor to continue a pregnancy violates her fundamental rights. The court permitted a late-term pregnancy termination in a specific case.
The Chhattisgarh High Court has affirmed that forcing a minor who has survived rape to carry a pregnancy to term infringes upon her fundamental rights guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution. The court's decision came in response to a plea seeking permission for a late-term abortion.
In its ruling, the High Court acknowledged the severe physical and psychological trauma faced by victims of sexual assault. The bench emphasized that the right to life and personal liberty, as enshrined in Article 21, includes the right to make decisions about one's own body and reproductive health, especially in cases of non-consensual acts.
The court's intervention highlights the legal framework's evolving understanding of a survivor's autonomy and well-being in such distressing circumstances. By permitting the termination, the judiciary has prioritized the survivor's fundamental rights over the continuation of the pregnancy.
In its ruling, the High Court acknowledged the severe physical and psychological trauma faced by victims of sexual assault. The bench emphasized that the right to life and personal liberty, as enshrined in Article 21, includes the right to make decisions about one's own body and reproductive health, especially in cases of non-consensual acts.
The court's intervention highlights the legal framework's evolving understanding of a survivor's autonomy and well-being in such distressing circumstances. By permitting the termination, the judiciary has prioritized the survivor's fundamental rights over the continuation of the pregnancy.