‘Can’t Stop Heartbeat’: SC’s no to Ending 26-Week Pregnancy

New Delhi: The SupremeCourt has rejected a marriedwoman’s request to terminate her26-week pregnancy. The courtrelied on a report by the All IndiaInstitute of Medical Sciencesthat said there is no abnormality in the child.”Pregnancy is 26 weeks and 5days. Allowing termination ofpregnancy will be a violation ofSections 3 and 5 of the MedicalTermination of Pregnancy Act asthere is no immediate danger tothe mother, and this is not a caseof foetal abnormality,” ChiefJustice of India DY Chandrachudsaid. “We cannot stop theheartbeat,” the Chief Justice said.Under the MTP Act, theupper limit for termination ofpregnancy is 24 weeks formarried women, including
survivors of rape, and othervulnerable women such as thedifferently-abled and minors.In the last hearing, the
petitioner had requested forpermission to kill the childthrough a court order. A motherof two, the woman has said she is suffering from depression and is not in a position to raise a third child, emotionally or financially.
On October 9, the court had allowed her to proceed with thepregnancy. The centre thensought a recall of the order, citingthe advice of a panel of doctorsat AIIMS Delhi against theabortion.A two-judge bench of JusticeHima Kohli and Justice BVNagarathna earlier gave a splitverdict in the matter. Followingthis, the Chief Justice of India-

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