Justice Samir Dave of the Gujarat High Court on Thursday quoted the ancient Sanskrit legal text Manusmriti to support his contention that girls used to get married at the age of 14 or 15 and would often deliver a baby by the age of 17. He made the remark orally while hearing a plea seeking the termination of a seven month pregnancy by a minor rape survivor.
The court directed the Rajkot Civil Hospital to examine the minor girl first before taking any decision on the termination of the pregnancy. The court will decide whether to allow medical termination after a report by a panel of doctors from the hospital. The next date for hearing is June 15.
Earlier, while hearing the case, Justice Dave remarked, “In the older times, it was normal for girls to get married by 14-15 years of age and to have a child before the age of 17... You will not read it, but do read Manusmriti once for this.”
