Srinagar, May 22 -- The High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh on Thursday refused to permit medical termination of pregnancy of a minor rape survivor from south Kashmir after a medical board warned that the procedure at the advanced stage of gestation could endanger her life and future reproductive health.

Justice W S Nargal, while deciding a petition filed on behalf of the minor victim from Kulgam district, held that courts cannot disregard expert medical opinion in matters involving serious risks to the life of the patient.

The court, however, directed authorities to ensure comprehensive medical care, rehabilitation, confidentiality and protection for the victim and the prospective child.

According to the judgment, the minor girl ...