In a landmark verdict, the Supreme Court on Thursday allowed a 14-year-old rape victim to abort her baby. The girl, who is 24 weeks pregnant, had approached the apex court after the Gujarat high court denied her permission to abort her pregnancy .

According to rules, abortion beyond 20 weeks is not permissible. The Supreme Court, while admitting the girl's plea had sought the opinion of a medical board over the issue. The board, comprising of five doctors, told the court that medically there was no danger to the girl's life if she terminates her pregnancy.

The girl had become pregnant in February after she was allegedly raped by a doctor to whom she had gone for treatment of typhoid. Her family's application for termination of the pregnancy was rejected by a lower court and the Gujarat high court.

Terming it a difficult decision, Justice Abhilasha Kumari said the can not be blamed for being conceived "whatever be the circumstances in which the child was conceived."