In Brief
A 22-year-old pregnant woman at 24 weeks gestation sought Court permission to terminate her pregnancy because the fetus suffered from bilateral renal agenesis (absent kidneys) with anhydramnios (no amniotic fluid), a condition incompatible with life after birth. A Supreme Court-appointed medical board confirmed the fetus would not survive birth and that continuing the pregnancy endangered the mother's physical and mental health. The Court held that a woman's right to bodily integrity and reproductive choice under Article 21 includes the right to terminate such pregnancies under the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act, 1971. The petition was allowed, and the termination was ordered to be supervised by the medical board with proper documentation and maternal consent.
The lawyer headnote and full judgment text are available to registered users.