HC rejects Dahisar residents’ plea for termination of one of her twin foetus

The Bombay high court (HC) on Friday rejected a petition filed by a 33-year-old Dahisar resident who is pregnant with twins and had sought permission for termination

The Bombay high court (HC) on Friday rejected a petition filed by a 33-year-old Dahisar resident who is pregnant with twins and had sought permission for termination of pregnancy of one of the foetuses affected by Down Syndrome.

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Acting on her petition, the court had on May 15 referred her to a medical board of Sir JJ Hospital and Grant Medical College and ordered the board to submit its report by May 22.

On Friday, a division bench of justice RD Dhanuka and justice Abhay Ahuja rejected her petition after perusing the medical board’s report. Detailed reasons for dismissal of the petition are still awaited.

The woman’s petition stated that she underwent a maternal screening test on April 29 and then a second test on May 7 in view of the complications in one her foetuses. The second test results showed that the foetus having complications suffered from Down Syndrome.

On May 11, she took second opinion from a gyanaecologist and obstetrician who told her the affected foetus suffered from an untreatable chromosomal anomaly with substantial risk of mental or physical disabilities. Following this, she decided to undergo termination of her pregnancy of the affected foetus and continue normal pregnancy with the other foetus.

She had sought permission from the court to terminate pregnancy of the foetus claiming the gynaecologist also informed her that such the procedure of terminating pregnancy of one her foetuses would not pose a higher risk to her as compared to delivery.