Supreme Court issues notice to Centre on abortion law

New Delhi, Feb 13 (ANI): The Supreme Court on Friday issued notice to the Centre on the petition challenging a law prohibiting abortion after 20 weeks of pregnancy in case of foetal abnormality.

A bench headed by Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan heard the plea of Mumbai-based Dr. Nikhil D Datar and has sought for a response of the government on the issue.

Niketa and Haresh Mehta along with their doctor Nikhil Datar had moved to court seeking abortion of the couple's first child after physicians diagnosed the unborn child with a congenital heart block in the 24th week of pregnancy.

However, The Bombay High Court, on August 4, refused permission to abort the 26-week foetus observing that medical experts did not express any "categorical opinion that if the child is born it would suffer from serious handicaps". (ANI)