The bench had on February 23 constituted a medical board

comprising doctors of Mumbai-based KEM Hospital to examine the woman and file a report about her condition and advisability of permitting medical termination of pregnancy forthwith.

The woman, a resident of Maharashtra, had approached the apex court seeking nod to terminate her pregnancy saying that apart from serious mental and physical health problems for the child on birth, even her life was in danger.

The law prohibits termination of pregnancy after 20 weeks even if there is a fatal risk to the mother and the foetus.

The woman had said in her plea that this disorder could cause physical and mental retardation and the child would not be able to lead a normal and healthy life.

In a separate case, the apex court had on February 7 allowed a 22-year-old woman to terminate her 24-week pregnancy on the ground that it would endanger her life.

In another case, the apex court in January had allowed a Mumbai-based woman, who was in her 24th week of pregnancy, to terminate her pregnancy under the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act while taking into consideration the report of a hospital which had suggested that the foetus would not be able to survive without the skull.

(This article has not been edited by DNA's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)