Legal Weekly: Prosthetic limb granted by Court & preservation of vultures, Top Judgments of the Week

The Medical Director of the Lok Nayak Hospital took responsibility of treating the child and providing a prosthetic limb within two months under the Delhi Arogya Kosh.

NGT Delhi: Ban on construction work in Delhi & NCR

With dense smog engulfing Delhi-NCR, the National Green Tribunal banned all construction activities and digging up of roads and highways till November 14. The NGT bench headed by Justice Swatanter Kumar also made sure that workers involved in such activities be pai. To protect the environment from further pollution, the green body also passed directions to regulate fuel wastage, crop residue, open field burnings and vehicular traffic on roads.

The ban came into effect when the green tribunal was simultaneously hearing Delhi’s government’s Odd-Even scheme proposal to be implemented from November 13, 2017 onward.

Bombay High Court: Stepfather’s appeal rejected for relief from raping his stepdaughter for a year

A 55-year-old convict was awarded life imprisonment by a trial court for raping her minor stepdaughter for a year under POCSO and IPC. Three days after the 15-year-old started menstruating, the stepfather sexually assaulted and raped her and continued to do so until 2014. One day upon a medical examination, it was discovered that the young girl was pregnant and on being asked, she spoke about the abuse to the doctor.

While legal proceedings were carried on against the stepfather, the young girl gave birth in June, 2014. On appeal, the Bombay High Court set aside the prayer of the stepfather and refused to show “any leniency” for the appellant. “When a protector becomes perpetrator and the victim, who is a minor girl solely dependent upon him is ravished by such a person, the victim is left with no other option but to surrender mutely,” said the court.

Madras High Court: To protect vultures, ban on multiple dosage of Diclofenac continues

The Madras High Court upheld Centre’s ban on Diclofenac. The petition was filed by Laborate Pharmaceutical India Ltd. and Alpa Laboratories Ltd. challenging the ban. The high court observed that vultures were feeding on cattle and carcasses of livestock infused with Diclofenac, therefore leading to a rapid decline in their numbers.

Bombay High Court: 26-week pregnant woman allowed to abort

Due to multiple serious neurological and skeletal abnormalities in the foetus, the Bombay High Court allowed a woman to medically terminate her 26-week pregnancy.
The Medical Board had concluded that the child born through this pregnancy has a high chance of mental retardation, meningitis, paralysis of lower limbs and loss of urine and bowel control. Upon consulting the Medical Board, the court decided to allow the abortion and said, “It is very difficult for us to refuse the permission to the petitioner to undergo medical termination of the pregnancy. It appears that the baby will certainly not grow any further.”