©The Star (Used by permission)
BUKIT MERTAJAM: Nepalese Nirmala Thapa who is facing an abortion charge in a Sessions Court will know her fate on July 30.
Sessions judge M. Vijayalakshmi fixed the date to decide if the prosecution has established a prima facie case against Nirmala, 26.
Nirmala, represented by E. Gnasegaran, is being retried on an abortion charge under Section 315 of the Penal Code for an act done with the intent to prevent a child from being born alive or to cause it to die after birth.
If convicted, she could face up to 10 years’ jail or a fine, or both.
She is alleged to have committed the offence on Oct 9 last year at a government–approved clinic in Bukit Mertajam.
Nirmala was first charged on Nov 12, last year at the same court where she pleaded guilty and was sentenced to a year’s jail.
However, the sentence was set aside on Jan 12 by High Court judge Datuk Nordin Hassan, who ordered a retrial.
Nine prosecution witnesses had testified in the retrial.
Vijayalakshmi had also set July 14 to hear submissions from both the prosecution and defence.
Nirmala was accompanied to court by Dr Prema Devaraj who represented the Joint Action Group for Gender Equality (JAG), a coalition of 10 women’s groups including the Women’s Centre for Change.