Bombay High Court has permitted an unmarried woman to terminate her over 23-week pregnancy, observing that giving birth out of wedlock would cause her much mental anguish and taking note of the fact that she could not consult a doctor for an earlier abortion because of the lockdown.

The Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act prohibits abortions beyond 20 weeks.

A bench of Justices S.J. Kathawalla and Surendra Tavade in an order on Tuesday noted that the 23-year-old woman, a resident of Maharashtra’s Ratnagiri district, had failed to undergo pregnancy termination within 20 weeks “mainly because she could not consult a doctor” during the coronavirus-induced lockdown.

The court permitted her to undergo the procedure at a medical facility of her choice by Friday.