Termination of 26-week pregnancy: We can't kill a child, says SC
Supreme Court observed on Thursday while hearing the Centre's plea seeking recall of its order allowing a married woman, a mother of two, to terminate her 26-week pregnancy. While making it clear that the top court has to balance the rights of the unborn child, a «living and viable foetus», with its mother's right of decisional autonomy, a bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud asked the Centre and her lawyer to talk to the woman about the possibility of retaining the pregnancy for a few weeks more.
«Do you want us to tell the doctors at AIIMS to stop the fetal heart?» the bench, also comprising Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, asked the counsel appearing for the 27-year-old woman.
When the counsel responded with a «no», the bench said when the woman has waited for over 24 weeks, can't she retain the foetus for some more weeks so there is the possibility of a healthy child being born.
The bench has posted the matter for resumed hearing at 10.30 AM on Friday.
The matter came up before the CJI-led bench after a two-judge bench on Wednesday gave a split verdict on the Centre's plea for recall of its October 9 order granting permission to the woman to terminate her 26-week pregnancy.
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