The Supreme Court's decision comes as a huge relief for the 13-year-old rape survivor.
The surgical procedure of the 13-year-old rape victim, who is 31-week pregnant, is likely to take place today. A bench of three judges led by Chief Justice Misra had on Wednesday decided to consider the girl's plea, although the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act does not allow abortion if the pregnancy has crossed 20 weeks.
The girl had moved Supreme Court for an abortion after filing a complaint of rape at the Charkop Police Station in Mumbai.
"It will take a lot of time for her to recover from the trauma but this comes as a big relief. Expecting a 13-year-old girl to bear a child is just unimaginable," said Advocate Sneha Mukherjee.
The decision comes as a huge relief for the 13-year-old rape survivor. "How can a 13-year-old become a mother?" Chief Justice Deepak Misra observed before passing the order.
The thirteen-year-old girl is traumatized said those who have interacted her. She hasn't even been able to go to school and doctors say the baby will be born premature and will be kept under observation at the neonatal ward. When it's time to go home, it will be upon the family to take him along or to give him up for adoption, her doctors added.
Recently a 10-year-old rape survivor from Chandigarh was denied permission abort her foetus but after the Supreme Court's decision activists have renewed their demand for a change in the law to extend the abortion deadline to 24 weeks.
Dr Nikhil Datar, a Mumbai based gynecologist, who is helping six patients with their abortion pleas said terminations are becoming safer with technology.
"There are higher chances of the mother developing complications as the term goes on so doing a delivery or a c-section is definitely a lower risk for her," he added.
The JJ Hospital in Mumbai now will be handling the surgery and the procedure is likely to take place on Friday. "She is very minor and therefore she requires termination of pregnancy as decided by her. If the baby can be delayed a little longer, the baby would be approximately 2 kg and with the 2 kg the baby would have a better prognosis," said Dr Ashok Anand, Head of Dept, Gynecology, JJ Hospital.
Doctors say the experience of pregnancy at an early age is going to affect the girl which is why beyond medical concerns, counselling and psychological support is critical in such cases.