Reportable
IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA
CIVIL ORIGINAL JURISDICTION
WRIT PETITION (CIVIL) NO. 81 OF 2017
Mrs. X AND ORS. PETITIONER(S)
VERSUS
UNION OF INDIA AND ORS RESPONDENT(S)
O R D E R
Application for non-disclosure of names and detail of
petitioner No. 1 and 2 is allowed.
The Petitioner No. 1- Mrs. X is about 22 years' old. She has
approached this Court under Artilce 32 of the Constitution of India seeking
directions to the respondents to allow her to undergo medical termination
of her pregnancy. According to her, fetus which is about 22 weeks old on
the date of the petition has a condition knowns as bilateral renal agenesis
and anhydramnios. She apprehends that the fetus has no chance of survival
and the delievery may endanger her life.
In order to verify the condition of petitioner No. 1, this
Court by order dated 03.02.2017 while issuing notice to the respondents
directed examination of the petitioner by a medical Board consisting of
following seven Doctors :
1. Dr. Avinash N. Supe, Director (Medical Education & Major Hospitals) &
Dean (G&K) – Chairman
2. Dr. Shubhangi Parkar, Professor and HOD, Psychiatry, KEM Hospital
3. Dr. Amar Pazare, professor and HOD, Medicine, KEM Hosptial
4. Dr. Indrani Hemantkumar Chincholi, Professor and HOD, Anaesthesia,
KEM Hospital
5. Dr. Y.S. Nandanwar, Professor and HOD, Obstetrics, KEM Hospitals
6. Dr. Anahita Chauhan, Professor and Unit Head, Obstetrics &
Gynecology, LTMMC and LTMG Hospitals
7. Dr. Hemangini Thakkar, Addl. Professor, Radiology, KEM Hospital.
By its report dated 04.02.2017, the Medical Board as constituted by
this Court has given its expert opinion upon reviewing the complete history
as narrated by the petitioner No. 1 and her brother alongwith all the
papers. The petitioner No. 1 was examined by all the Board Members with
specific recourse to the specialty.
The learned Solicitor General who appears on behalf of Union of India
had the report evaluated by Doctor Veena Dhawan from the Ministry of
Health. The said Doctor does not disagree with the findings by the Medical
Board and is also in agreement with the proposed action by the Medical
Board. The salient features of the report are :
“.. Ultrasonography diagnosis is single live fetus with gestational age of
24 weeks 3 days with bilateral renal agenesis with double outlet right
ventricle with ventricular septal defeat with two vessel cord with
anhydramnios....
Opinion of Pediatric Surgeon in charge of Birth Defect Clinic : There
is risk of intrauterine fetal death/ still birth and there is no chance of
long term post natal survival, and no curative treatment is available at
present for bilateral rengal agenesis.
There is thus a clear diagnosis of the condition of the single live
fetus which is said to have bialateral renal agenesis wheich means the
fetus has no kidneys and anhydramnios which means that there is an absence
of amniotic fluid in the womb. Further, there is a clear observation that
there is a risk of intrauterine fetal death, i.e. death within womb and
there is no chance of a long term post natal survival. What is important
is that there is no curative treatment available at present for bilateral
renal agenesis.
The Medical Board has opined that the condition of the fetus is
incompatible with extra-uterine life, i.e. outside the womb because
prolonged absence of amniotic fluid results in pulmonary hypoplasia leading
to severe respiratory insufficiency at birth. From the point of view of
the petitioner the report has observed risk to the mother since
continuation of pregnancy can endanger her physical and mental health.
We have already vide order dated 16.01.2017 upheld the right of
a mother to preserve her life in view of foreseeable danger in case the
pregnancy is allowed to run its full course. This Court in that case
relied upon the case of Suchita Srivastava and Anr. vs. Chandigarh
Administration [(2009) 9 SCC 1], where a bench of three Judges held “a
woman’s right to make reproductive choices is also a dimension of ‘personal
liberty’ as understood under Article 21 of the Constitution”. In these
circumstances we find that the right of bodily integrity
calls for a permission to allow her to terminate her pregnancy. The report
of the Medical Board clearly warrants the inference that the continuance of
the pregnancy involves the risk to the life of the petitioner and a
possible grave injury to her physical or mental health as required by
Section 3 (2)(i) of the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act, 1971. It
may be noted that Section 5 of the Act enables termination of pregnancy
where an opinion if formed by not less than two medical practitioners in a
case where opinion is for the termination of such pregnancy is immediately
necessary to save the life of the pregnant woman.
Though the current pregnancy of the petitioner is about 24th
weeks and endanger to the life and inevitable to the death of the fetus
outside womb, we consider it appropriate to permit the petitioner to
undergo termination of her pregnancy under the provisions of the Medical
Termination of Pregnancy Act, 1971. We order accordingly.
The termination of pregnancy of petitioner no.1 will be performed by
the Doctors of the hospital where she has undergone medical check-up.
Further, termination of her pregnancy would be supervised by the above
stated Medical Board who shall maintain complete record of the procedure
which is to be performed on petitioner No.1 for termination of her
pregnancy.
Shri Ranjit Kumar, learned solicitor General rightly points out
that the affidavit in the present case is not sworn by petitioner No. 1 who
seeks termination of her pregnancy and is sworn by a Doctor who is
petitioner No.3. We might note that a relator action may not be
permitted in a case of this kind. There would be various circumstances
about which the Court must be assured of before the order is made.
Conceivably, in a given case petitioner No. 1 may be under some
misconception or under coercion. We do not find that to be case here
because Petitioner No. 1 has been examined by the Medical Board about her
mental condition. In fact the Board has made a psychiatric evaluation of
her and has stated that the patient is co-operative and coherent and has
no psychiatric or emotional problems. Hence we do not propose to deny
relief to petitioner No. 1. It is however, made clear that such action
must be supported by affidavits of the petitioner No. 1 herself .
Needless to state that KEM Hospital will take her consent before
terminating her pregnancy.
With the aforesaid directions, the instant writ petition is allowed
in terms of prayer (a) seeking direction to the respondents to allow
petitioner no.1 to undergo medical termination of her pregnancy.
.......................J
[S. A. BOBDE]
.......................J
[L. NAGESWARA RAO]
NEW DELHI;
FEBRUARY 07, 2017.
IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA
CIVIL ORIGINAL JURISDICTION
WRIT PETITION (CIVIL) NO. 81 OF 2017
Mrs. X AND ORS. PETITIONER(S)
VERSUS
UNION OF INDIA AND ORS RESPONDENT(S)
O R D E R
Application for non-disclosure of names and detail of
petitioner No. 1 and 2 is allowed.
The Petitioner No. 1- Mrs. X is about 22 years' old. She has
approached this Court under Artilce 32 of the Constitution of India seeking
directions to the respondents to allow her to undergo medical termination
of her pregnancy. According to her, fetus which is about 22 weeks old on
the date of the petition has a condition knowns as bilateral renal agenesis
and anhydramnios. She apprehends that the fetus has no chance of survival
and the delievery may endanger her life.
In order to verify the condition of petitioner No. 1, this
Court by order dated 03.02.2017 while issuing notice to the respondents
directed examination of the petitioner by a medical Board consisting of
following seven Doctors :
1. Dr. Avinash N. Supe, Director (Medical Education & Major Hospitals) &
Dean (G&K) – Chairman
2. Dr. Shubhangi Parkar, Professor and HOD, Psychiatry, KEM Hospital
3. Dr. Amar Pazare, professor and HOD, Medicine, KEM Hosptial
4. Dr. Indrani Hemantkumar Chincholi, Professor and HOD, Anaesthesia,
KEM Hospital
5. Dr. Y.S. Nandanwar, Professor and HOD, Obstetrics, KEM Hospitals
6. Dr. Anahita Chauhan, Professor and Unit Head, Obstetrics &
Gynecology, LTMMC and LTMG Hospitals
7. Dr. Hemangini Thakkar, Addl. Professor, Radiology, KEM Hospital.
By its report dated 04.02.2017, the Medical Board as constituted by
this Court has given its expert opinion upon reviewing the complete history
as narrated by the petitioner No. 1 and her brother alongwith all the
papers. The petitioner No. 1 was examined by all the Board Members with
specific recourse to the specialty.
The learned Solicitor General who appears on behalf of Union of India
had the report evaluated by Doctor Veena Dhawan from the Ministry of
Health. The said Doctor does not disagree with the findings by the Medical
Board and is also in agreement with the proposed action by the Medical
Board. The salient features of the report are :
“.. Ultrasonography diagnosis is single live fetus with gestational age of
24 weeks 3 days with bilateral renal agenesis with double outlet right
ventricle with ventricular septal defeat with two vessel cord with
anhydramnios....
Opinion of Pediatric Surgeon in charge of Birth Defect Clinic : There
is risk of intrauterine fetal death/ still birth and there is no chance of
long term post natal survival, and no curative treatment is available at
present for bilateral rengal agenesis.
There is thus a clear diagnosis of the condition of the single live
fetus which is said to have bialateral renal agenesis wheich means the
fetus has no kidneys and anhydramnios which means that there is an absence
of amniotic fluid in the womb. Further, there is a clear observation that
there is a risk of intrauterine fetal death, i.e. death within womb and
there is no chance of a long term post natal survival. What is important
is that there is no curative treatment available at present for bilateral
renal agenesis.
The Medical Board has opined that the condition of the fetus is
incompatible with extra-uterine life, i.e. outside the womb because
prolonged absence of amniotic fluid results in pulmonary hypoplasia leading
to severe respiratory insufficiency at birth. From the point of view of
the petitioner the report has observed risk to the mother since
continuation of pregnancy can endanger her physical and mental health.
We have already vide order dated 16.01.2017 upheld the right of
a mother to preserve her life in view of foreseeable danger in case the
pregnancy is allowed to run its full course. This Court in that case
relied upon the case of Suchita Srivastava and Anr. vs. Chandigarh
Administration [(2009) 9 SCC 1], where a bench of three Judges held “a
woman’s right to make reproductive choices is also a dimension of ‘personal
liberty’ as understood under Article 21 of the Constitution”. In these
circumstances we find that the right of bodily integrity
calls for a permission to allow her to terminate her pregnancy. The report
of the Medical Board clearly warrants the inference that the continuance of
the pregnancy involves the risk to the life of the petitioner and a
possible grave injury to her physical or mental health as required by
Section 3 (2)(i) of the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act, 1971. It
may be noted that Section 5 of the Act enables termination of pregnancy
where an opinion if formed by not less than two medical practitioners in a
case where opinion is for the termination of such pregnancy is immediately
necessary to save the life of the pregnant woman.
Though the current pregnancy of the petitioner is about 24th
weeks and endanger to the life and inevitable to the death of the fetus
outside womb, we consider it appropriate to permit the petitioner to
undergo termination of her pregnancy under the provisions of the Medical
Termination of Pregnancy Act, 1971. We order accordingly.
The termination of pregnancy of petitioner no.1 will be performed by
the Doctors of the hospital where she has undergone medical check-up.
Further, termination of her pregnancy would be supervised by the above
stated Medical Board who shall maintain complete record of the procedure
which is to be performed on petitioner No.1 for termination of her
pregnancy.
Shri Ranjit Kumar, learned solicitor General rightly points out
that the affidavit in the present case is not sworn by petitioner No. 1 who
seeks termination of her pregnancy and is sworn by a Doctor who is
petitioner No.3. We might note that a relator action may not be
permitted in a case of this kind. There would be various circumstances
about which the Court must be assured of before the order is made.
Conceivably, in a given case petitioner No. 1 may be under some
misconception or under coercion. We do not find that to be case here
because Petitioner No. 1 has been examined by the Medical Board about her
mental condition. In fact the Board has made a psychiatric evaluation of
her and has stated that the patient is co-operative and coherent and has
no psychiatric or emotional problems. Hence we do not propose to deny
relief to petitioner No. 1. It is however, made clear that such action
must be supported by affidavits of the petitioner No. 1 herself .
Needless to state that KEM Hospital will take her consent before
terminating her pregnancy.
With the aforesaid directions, the instant writ petition is allowed
in terms of prayer (a) seeking direction to the respondents to allow
petitioner no.1 to undergo medical termination of her pregnancy.
.......................J
[S. A. BOBDE]
.......................J
[L. NAGESWARA RAO]
NEW DELHI;
FEBRUARY 07, 2017.
