The Bombay High Court granted authorization for a 19-year-old woman to terminate her 25-week pregnancy, acknowledging her right to make autonomous decisions regarding her body.

The division bench of Justices Somasekhar Sundaresan and NR Borkar emphasized her sovereignty in choosing medical termination, citing her concerns about grave psychological effects and social stigma.

In her petition filed on May 27, the woman, belonging to a lower-income group, expressed distress over the psychological impact of the pregnancy and societal judgment as primary reasons for termination. Despite medical reports indicating no fetal abnormalities, the court recognized the significance of her emotional and mental well-being.

Following examination and counseling by the medical board of Sassoon Hospital, which highlighted the potential for grave psychological harm due to her current circumstances, the court underscored her right to reproductive choice. Disregarding suggestions regarding the involvement of her partner, the bench upheld Supreme Court guidelines, affirming the woman's sole authority in deciding on pregnancy termination.

"Upon careful consideration of the record and our interaction with the petitioner, we are of the opinion that she is indeed fully aware of the foetus having a heartbeat and is also firmly desirous of terminating the pregnancy after being made well aware of the procedure to be adopted," the court said.

Consequently, the High Court granted permission for the termination procedure to proceed at Sassoon Hospital, Pune, with immediate effect, as per the woman's request on May 30, 2024.