The Delhi High Court on Monday permitted a woman to undergo medical termination of her 22-week pregnancy as the foetus was suffering from serious abnormalities.
Justice Rekha Palli gave the direction after considering the report of medical board of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS).
“Considering the report of experts ..., I am of the view that the petition deserves to be allowed. The petitioner [woman] is allowed to terminate the pregnancy,” the High Court said.
In India, the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act stipulates a ceiling of 20 weeks, for termination of pregnancy, beyond which abortion of a foetus is statutorily impermissible.
The 32-year-old woman, who completed 22-week gestation period, had sought permission to undergo medical termination of her pregnancy as her foetus was suffering from various defects and abnormalities.
Advocate Sneha Mukherjee, representing the woman, said continuation of the pregnancy to its full term not only carried a substantial risk of serious physical handicap to the offspring but also a high chance of morbidity in the foetus.
