Supreme Court in its judgement today said that the marital status of a woman cannot be a ground to deprive her right to abort unwanted pregnancy.
The Supreme Court also said that unmarried woman has the right to abort under Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP)Act and the rules till 24 weeks of pregnancy.
The SC also said that sexual assault by husbands can take the form of rape, and the meaning of rape must include the meaning of marital rape under the MTP Act and Rules for the purposes of abortion.
While interpreting the MTP Act, Justice D Y Chandrachud said, “even an unmarried woman can undergo abortion up to 24 weeks on par with married women.”
” Women must have the autonomy to have free exercise of these rights”, Justice Chandrachud, the presiding judge of the bench said while reading out the excerpts of the judgment.
