High Court Rebukes Police Over Privacy Breach in Minor Abortion Cases

The Bombay High Court criticized the police for forcing doctors to reveal the identity of minors seeking abortions, contrary to a Supreme Court directive. The court stressed this was harassment of both minors and doctors. The case underscores the tension between law enforcement and medical privacy rights.

The Bombay High Court has firmly criticized the police for their actions in compelling doctors to disclose the identities of minor girls seeking to terminate pregnancies, despite an existing Supreme Court directive discouraging such demands.

On July 28, a bench of Justices Revati Mohite Dere and Neela Gokhale spoke out strongly against the police's insistence, labeling it as harassment towards the minors and the involved doctors. Under current regulations, doctors are required to inform police if approached by a girl under 18 seeking an abortion.

The controversy arose from a petition by a gynecologist, who argued against disclosing a minor's identity, as per a 2022 Supreme Court ruling. Despite the Supreme Court's judgment, doctors have been compelled to seek High Court intervention due to police pressure. The HC called for the dissemination of the Supreme Court order among Maharashtra police to prevent future incidents.

(With inputs from agencies.)