India on Thursday expressed “concern” over the fate of 31-year-old dentist Savita Halappanavar, who died after being denied abortion in Ireland last month. “The death of an Indian national in such circumstances is a matter of concern. Our embassy in Dublin is following the matter closely,” external affairs ministry spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin said.

Her family, meanwhile, called for an international probe. “They killed my daughter to save a foetus. Only a mother knows the pain,” Savita’s mother Akkamma Devi said.

Under pressure, the Irish authorities said they would appoint an independent external expert to probe the matter so that it could “stand up to world’s scrutiny”. This comes after the Catholic country’s tough abortion laws came under fire and thousands of people protested outside Ireland’s parliament on Wednesday.

Savita’s husband Praveen said he would not take legal action till the internal inquiry was over.

(With agency inputs)