Form panel to consider plea of woman seeking termination of 23-week pregnancy: Delhi HC to AIIMS

Abnormalities in foetus were detected only after the 20th week of pregnancy, says petitioner’s counsel

AIIMS building in New Delhi. File.

The Delhi High Court on Friday directed the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) to “immediately” constitute a team of medical experts to look into the plea of a woman seeking termination of her 23-week pregnancy due to certain abnormalities in the foetus.

A Bench of Chief Justice D.N. Patel and Justice Prateek Jalan, acting swiftly on the plea, directed the woman to approach AIIMS between 10.30 a.m. and 11.30 a.m. on Saturday to get the examination done by the medical experts.

The court asked the director of AIIMS to give a report on the situation of the foetus and whether it will be safe for the woman to terminate the pregnancy by the evening of July 13 and posted the case for hearing on July 14.

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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 counsel for the petitioner stated that the abnormalities in the foetus were detected only after the 20th week of pregnancy, forcing the woman to approach the court.

The counsel said there was deformation in the skull and a defect in the heart, which are co-morbidities attached to the main abnormalities.