India, Feb. 19 -- The Bombay High Court on Tuesday permitted a 16-year-old girl to medically terminate her 31-week pregnancy, observing that she was unwilling to carry it to term.

A division bench of justices Bharati Dangre and Manjusha Deshpande passed the order on a petition filed by the minor through her mother. The plea sought the court's intervention as the pregnancy had crossed the 24-week gestation period prescribed under the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act, 1971.

Earlier, the court had directed the Medical Board at Thane Civil Hospital to examine the girl and submit a report. The board, after examining her on February 13, informed the court that termination at this stage would not pose any risk to her life or cause adverse ...