Court seeks medical view on mentally challenged woman's foetus

The sessions court here today sought medical opinion in a case where Gujarat overnment has sought permission to terminate a mentally-challenged woman's 14-week-old pregnancy.
Additional Sessions Judge H J Joshi said the government's application was silent on the medical condition of foetus and asked the government to submit the medical opinion at tomorrow's hearing.
The medical report will have to state whether the foetus is abnormal and if the child is likely to be born mentally and physically defective, the court said.
The woman, who is 28-year-old and mentally challenged, was found by the city police two months ago in abandoned condition. She was sent to a government-run mental health centre in Meghaninagar and the medical check-up revealed that she was pregnant.

The authorities approached a magistrate's court seeking permission for the termination of pregnancy but it was rejected, so they moved the sessions court, said public prosecutor Sudhir Brahmbhatt.