We have a life in our hands, can’t allow abortion: SC

NEW DELHI: “We have a life in our hands”, the Supreme Court said today as it dismissed a plea by a woman who wanted to abort her pregnancy of 26 weeks as the foetus suffered from ‘down syndrome’.

The apex court said it understood the “anxiety” of the 37-year-old woman who had sought its nod to abort the foetus on the ground that it suffered from ‘down syndrome’, but as per the report of the medical board it cannot allow her to terminate the pregnancy.

Down syndrome is a congenital disorder which causes intellectual impairment and physical abnormalities.

Referring to the report of the seven-member medical board, the court said as per its advise, “there is no physical risk to the mother of continuation or termination of pregnancy” and “if the baby is born with Trisomy 21 (down syndrome), it is likely to have mental and physical challenges”.

“In any case, it is not possible to discern the danger to the life of petitioner no.1 (woman) in case she is not allowed to terminate her pregnancy. In the facts and circumstances of the case, it is not possible for us to grant permission to petitioner no.1 to terminate the life of the foetus,” a bench of Justices S A Bobde and L Nageswara Rao said. (AGENCIES)

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