Supreme Court warns Centre, AIIMS to terminate minor's pregnancy by May 4 or face contempt charges

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday warned the Centre and AIIMS of initiation of contempt charges against them, if its April 24 order, directing medical termination of 30-week pregnancy of a 15-year-old girl, was not complied with by May 4.

The court also indicated that if the order is not complied with by then, it will proceed to frame charges against the alleged contemnors. The order was passed in a contempt petition filed by the mother of the minor girl.

A bench of Justices B V Nagarathna and Ujjal Bhuyan directed the alleged contemnors - Principal Secretary of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Secretary of Department of Health and Family Welfare, and Director of AIIMS, New Delhi to remain present in the Court through video conferencing on Monday.

"If they do not comply with our order by Monday, then let them be prepared for further directions in the contempt proceedings. We are not concerned with anything but that the order of this court is complied with... If they do not comply by Monday, we will frame the charges. We will hear them before framing charges,'' the bench said.

The bench had on April 29 dismissed a review plea against the previous order, forcing the AIIMS and the Centre to file a curative petition.