Section 312 of IPC : Section 312: Causing miscarriage

Explanation using Example

Example 1:

Rita is three months pregnant and her boyfriend, Raj, does not want the child. Raj convinces Rita to take some pills that he obtained illegally to terminate the pregnancy. Rita takes the pills and suffers a miscarriage. Since Raj voluntarily caused Rita to miscarry and it was not done in good faith to save her life, Raj can be punished under Section 312 of the Indian Penal Code with imprisonment for up to three years, or with a fine, or both.

Example 2:

Meena is six months pregnant and her husband, Suresh, is worried about the financial burden of another child. Suresh forces Meena to undergo an illegal abortion procedure. Meena loses the baby as a result. Since Meena was "quick with child" (meaning the fetus had started to move in the womb), Suresh can be punished with imprisonment for up to seven years and also be liable to pay a fine under Section 312 of the Indian Penal Code.

Example 3:

Priya, who is five months pregnant, learns from her doctor that continuing the pregnancy poses a serious risk to her life. After consulting with her doctor, Priya decides to undergo a medically supervised abortion to save her life. Since the miscarriage was caused in good faith for the purpose of saving Priya's life, neither Priya nor the doctor would be punished under Section 312 of the Indian Penal Code.

Example 4:

Anita, who is four months pregnant, decides she does not want to have the baby and takes some herbal remedies to induce a miscarriage. She successfully causes herself to miscarry. Under Section 312 of the Indian Penal Code, Anita can be punished for causing her own miscarriage, as the law includes women who cause themselves to miscarry within its scope.