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Centre wants special panel to deal with emergency abortion cases

Published

9 years ago

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Indu Malhotra to be first woman to be promoted from Bar to SC judgeship

The move, if approved by the Supreme Court, could help expedite appeals by scores of women who wish to abort a foetus due to medical complications or rape survivors who have been impregnated by their tormentor

In a bold move, the Centre has asked the Supreme Court to lay down directions for the formation of a body or board which will expeditiously deal with cases wherein a woman has sought legal sanction for aborting a foetus after expiry of the 20-week limit for the medical procedure that is prescribed under the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act, 1972.

If the Supreme Court accepts the Centre’s request, it would grant huge relief to scores of women across India who move various courts seeking an abortion due to medical complications suffered by themselves or their foetus or rape survivors who get become pregnant after the crime.

Given the tardy pace of court proceedings and long-winding legal procedures that need to be settled before a court can rule in such cases, often crucial time is lost for the woman. In the event of an adverse order by the court, the woman is either forced to deliver a baby that she doesn’t want, or risk her life during delivery because the court failed to rule in her favour or lost time in doing so, or worse still – resort to an illegal abortion and claim that she had a miscarriage.

A number of cases have come to the Supreme Court and to other courts across the country in the recent past in which women whose pregnancies have run over 20 weeks have asked for permission to abort.

Some of these cases have been rather delicate, as was shown in a recent abortion attempt by parents of a 10-year-old rape victim. She arrived at the top court’s door when she was already 26 weeks pregnant. Formalities (such as forming a medical board) took up time, and when she was finally denied permission to abort (because it was too dangerous for her health), the child had to undergo a C-section surgery as she was 32 weeks into her pregnancy.Centre wants special panel to deal with emergency abortion cases

Recently, a Mumbai-based woman in her mid-30s who had conceived her first child discovered that her baby could be born with Down’s Syndrome. However, by the time the woman and her husband realised that the foetus had signs of the debilitating syndrome, she was already 21-weeks pregnant – a week more than the legal limit for abortion. The woman is now left with two options – either to take the pregnancy to term, or move court seeking an abortion – a process that will not only be long drawn but also full of personal trauma for her and her husband.

The Centre’s submission for setting up a body to deal with such cases was made, on Thursday (August 31), before the Supreme Court bench of Justices SA Bobde and L Nageshwara Rao.

The counsel for the Centre cited an order of August 25, by the bench of Justices Madan B Lokur and Deepak Gupta in another case (Nipun Saxena vs Union of India Ministry Of Home Affairs) in which the court had issued notice to the Medical Council of India and medical boards of all the states and Union Territories regarding the early consideration of cases in which the termination of pregnancy is sine qua non in lieu of Section 5 of MTP Act, 1972.

The reference to this by the government counsel came up during hearing in a case in which a woman (mentioned as Mrs A) in her 20s has been pregnant for about 24 weeks and wants an abortion.

At the last hearing the court had ordered the formation of a medical board, comprising a well-known gynaecologist and obstetrician to examine her. This was to decide if medical termination of pregnancy would be life-threatening for the petitioner.

On Thursday, the petitioner’s counsel submitted that procurement and service of that detailed medical report, mentioning the current health status of woman and her child, has not taken place, because of the non-availability of the man/husband who has begotten her pregnant.

In most cases where permission to abort is sought from the courts and a medical board is formed to give its opinion, the testimony of the man or husband who has got the petitioner pregnant is a legal pre-requisite – unless it is establishment that the pregnancy was the result of rape.

If the Supreme Court indeed grants its approval for setting up a permanent body – equipped with medical as well as legal experts – that would examine pleas for abortion in an expeditious manner, legal complications like waiting for all testimonies to be recorded, getting relevant medical examinations conducted seeking dates for hearing the matter, etc may all be resolved, much to the relief of the woman who seeks a termination of her pregnancy.

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Asish Banerjee found dead in Rampurhat, Mamata Banerjee aide’s death shocks TMC

Former West Bengal deputy speaker and five-time Rampurhat MLA Asish Banerjee was found dead at a Trinamool Congress office in Birbhum.

Published

6 hours ago

on

August 16, 2026

By

Mamata Banerjee

Former West Bengal Assembly deputy speaker and Trinamool Congress leader Asish Banerjee was found dead at a party office next to his residence in Rampurhat, Birbhum district, on Sunday morning.

Police said his body was found hanging and was sent for postmortem. A large crowd gathered outside the Trinamool Congress office after news of his death spread.

Who was Asish Banerjee?

Asish Banerjee had served as the deputy speaker of the West Bengal Assembly when Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee was the state’s chief minister. He was also a five-time MLA from Rampurhat.

He had served as Bengal’s education and agriculture minister after Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress first came to power in the state.

Banerjee contested the West Bengal Assembly election earlier this year but lost the Rampurhat seat to BJP’s Dhruba Saha.

Asish Banerjee’s recent party role

Banerjee stepped down as chairman of the Trinamool Congress’s Birbhum district core committee in June. At the time, he said he would continue as a general member of the party.

He lived in the Hattalapara neighbourhood of Rampurhat, with the party office where his body was found located next to his house.

BJP gains in Birbhum

The BJP won six of the 11 Assembly constituencies in Birbhum in the latest state election. This marked a significant change from 2021, when the Trinamool Congress had won 10 seats in the district while the BJP had secured one.

Police have sent Asish Banerjee’s body for postmortem as the circumstances surrounding his death are being investigated.

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IPS Officer Nupur Prasad gets Medal for Meritorious Service after Sushant Singh Rajput probe

IPS officer Nupur Prasad, who led the CBI investigation into Sushant Singh Rajput’s death, has been selected for the Medal for Meritorious Service this year.

Published

1 day ago

on

August 15, 2026

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IPS officer Nupur Prasad, who led the CBI investigation into actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s death, has been recognised with the Medal for Meritorious Service (MSM) this year.

A 2007-batch AGMUT cadre officer, Ms Prasad recently returned to the Delhi Police after completing her tenure with the CBI. She is currently serving as Joint Commissioner of Police in the Economic Offences Wing (EOW), where she oversees investigations involving financial and economic crimes.

The award is part of this year’s recognition for police personnel for distinguished and meritorious service. Such honours recognise contributions in areas including investigation, crime prevention, public service, law and order and administration.

Nupur Prasad’s role in Sushant Singh Rajput case

Ms Prasad came into national focus during the CBI investigation into the death of Sushant Singh Rajput, who was found dead at his Mumbai residence on June 14, 2020.

The case was transferred to the CBI in August 2020 following a complaint by the actor’s family and a legal dispute over jurisdiction.

During her tenure with the agency, Ms Prasad supervised key aspects of the investigation, including the examination of witness statements, forensic evidence and medical records.

In 2025, the CBI filed closure reports, saying its investigation found no evidence of foul play, abetment to suicide or criminal conspiracy in the actor’s death.

Career across Delhi Police, CBI

Ms Prasad has served in several positions during her career, including assignments in the Delhi Police, CBI, Arunachal Pradesh and West Bengal.

Before joining the CBI, she held senior positions in the Delhi Police and became the first Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) of Shahdara. During her tenure, she worked on establishing the district’s policing framework following its creation.

She also led operations targeting drug networks and illegal gambling activities while focusing on crime-prevention measures.

Later, as DCP of North Delhi, she oversaw security arrangements for major events, including Independence Day celebrations at the Red Fort and Delhi University elections.

Community-focused policing initiatives

Beyond investigations, Ms Prasad has been associated with community-focused programmes involving women’s self-defence, youth development, cyber safety and drug de-addiction.

During her CBI tenure, she was also associated with several prominent investigations. Media reports have linked her to cases concerning businessman Vijay Mallya and the AgustaWestland helicopter deal.

Current role in Delhi Police

After completing her assignment with the CBI, Ms Prasad returned to the Delhi Police and took charge as Joint Commissioner of Police in the Economic Offences Wing.

The latest recognition adds to her career spanning investigations, policing and public service across several challenging assignments.

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Kharge, Rahul Gandhi skip Independence Day event for 2nd straight year

Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi skipped the 80th Independence Day celebrations at the Red Fort for the second consecutive year.

Published

1 day ago

on

August 15, 2026

By

Rahul Kharge

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi skipped the 80th Independence Day celebrations at Delhi’s Red Fort for the second consecutive year.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the Independence Day celebrations at the historic venue on Saturday.

The absence of the two senior Congress leaders comes amid strained relations between the ruling party and the Opposition, which further deteriorated during the Monsoon Session of Parliament that concluded on Thursday.

2024 seating controversy

Rahul Gandhi had attended the Independence Day celebrations in 2024 but his seating arrangement triggered a controversy. The Congress leader, who holds the status of a Cabinet minister as Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, was seated in the second-last row during the ceremony at the Red Fort.

The Opposition had criticised the seating arrangement, calling it an insult to the people. The Defence Ministry, which organised the event, said the arrangement had been modified to accommodate Olympians at the venue.

According to protocol, the Leader of the Opposition is seated in the front row during ceremonial events.

Opposition-ruling party tensions

Relations between the government and the Opposition remained tense during the Monsoon Session, which ended on Thursday.

The session saw repeated clashes between the two sides, with both the Opposition and the ruling party blaming each other for the low productivity of Parliament.

The session began on July 20, with students marching towards Parliament on the first day. Twelve bills were passed during the session, while detailed discussion took place on only one legislation, concerning paper leaks.

The Congress, along with the Trinamool Congress and Samajwadi Party, also boycotted the customary tea party hosted by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla after the House was adjourned sine die.

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