In Brief
A 22-week pregnant unmarried woman sought to terminate her pregnancy on grounds of changed personal circumstances and mental suffering. The High Court rejected her petition, holding that Rule 3B of the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Rules 2003 applies only to specified categories and excludes unmarried women. The Supreme Court allowed the Special Leave Petition, holding that Parliament's 2021 amendment replacing 'married woman' with 'any woman' and 'husband' with 'partner' reflects clear intent to include unmarried women. The Court found that excluding unmarried women creates an unjustifiable gap inconsistent with the statute's protective purpose and violates her fundamental right to bodily autonomy under Article 21. The Court ordered a medical board be constituted to assess the pregnancy and, if safe, permit the abortion.
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