The Karnataka High Court on Monday allowed a woman to terminate her 21-week pregnancy, reported The Hindu. The woman had sought permission to terminate the pregnancy as organs in the lower abdomen and spine of the foetus had not developed properly and the child would be handicapped after birth.
The 29-year-old woman from Bengaluru had moved the High Court as the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act bars termination of pregnancy beyond 20 weeks.
The High Court passed the order after a medical team of the Vani Vilas Hospital in Bengaluru examined the woman and submitted that the foetus is underdeveloped, reported Bangalore Mirror. The court said that the medical team that examined her cannot be held responsible for any complications in future due to the termination of pregnancy.
The court permitted the woman to undergo the termination process at a private hospital and directed doctors, who will be supervising the process, to take necessary medical care.
The Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act allows women to abort foetuses up to 20-weeks-old but courts can make exceptions if abnormalities are detected and if there is substantial risk to the mother’s life and health. A pending bill in Parliament proposes to amend the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act to extend the legally permissible period to end a pregnancy to 24 weeks.
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