India, Feb. 6 -- The Supreme Court on Friday allowed an 18-year-old girl to terminate a 30-week pregnancy, saying that a woman "cannot be compelled" to continue a pregnancy against her will. The top court set aside the Bombay high court order that had compared terminating the advanced pregnancy to "foeticide".

A Supreme Court bench of Justice BV Nagarathna reiterated that a woman's reproductive autonomy trumps the right of an unborn child.

"The court cannot compel any woman to complete her pregnancy if she is otherwise not intending to do so," the Supreme Court said, according to LiveLaw, stressing the importance of reproductive autonomy.

The Bombay high court order had declined permission for Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) and...