Supreme Court Denies Plea For Termination Of Over 25-Week Pregnancy

New Delhi: The Supreme Court of India on Wednesday denied a woman’s plea to terminate her pregnancy, which had progressed beyond 25 weeks. The court, emphasizing the importance of the petitioner’s privacy, refrained from disclosing the reasons behind its decision.

A vacation bench comprising Justices Abhay S. Oka and Satish Chandra Sharma reviewed a report from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi. This report was solicited by the court to evaluate the physical condition of the woman and her fetus.

“We have examined the report submitted by AIIMS. To protect the privacy of the petitioner, we are not disclosing its contents,” stated the bench. “Based on the report, we cannot permit the termination of pregnancy in this case. The report will remain sealed on record. The writ petition is rejected.”

Previously, on May 21, the Supreme Court had instructed AIIMS to submit a detailed report on the health of the woman and her fetus by May 24, in relation to the impact of the unwanted pregnancy on her health.

The petitioner’s counsel argued that the woman, who recently discovered her pregnancy on May 17, had travelled from Dubai and was currently staying in a hotel in India. Financial constraints were also highlighted as a factor.

According to the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act, termination of pregnancies beyond 24 weeks is only permissible in cases of significant fetal abnormalities diagnosed by a medical board or when necessary to save the life of the pregnant woman.