A 16-year-old girl faced complications after attempting to terminate her pregnancy with herbal remedies. (Representative image)
NAGPUR: An attempt to terminate an advanced pregnancy using YouTube videos and herbal concoctions ended with a 16-year-old girl delivering a baby at home, after which her 18-year-old classmate was arrested and charged with rape. Senior Inspector Jeetendra Bobde of Pachpaoli police station said the accused may have recently turned 18, but was a minor at the time of the first alleged sexual encounter.
The accused and the survivor studied at the same school in north Nagpur, according to Pachpaoli police. He continued to have physical relations with her and had also promised to marry her, police said. Police are completing the legal formalities and will ensure the survivor receives counselling and psychological support, senior PI Bobde said, adding that the case would be referred to the child welfare committee.
Her condition deteriorated after the delivery, prompting her family to rush her to a government-run hospital early this week. The newborn was taken to a private hospital. Doctors at Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) alerted police after the girl developed severe post-delivery complications. His age at the time of the alleged offence would be examined to determine the applicable legal procedure.
They allegedly became intimate last year at the boy’s residence when his family members were away. Police recorded the survivor’s statement and registered a rape FIR on Thursday under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.