Mumbai abortion case: Niketa Mehta suffers miscarriage

NEW DELHI: Barely eight days after the Bombay High Court gave its ruling on an appeal that had the country divided into two sides, Niketa Mehta, who sought to abort her 25-week-old-foetus has suffered a miscarriage.

According to her husband Haresh Mehta, Niketa suffered a miscarriage on August 12.

27 weeks pregnant Niketa was rushed to a hospital in suburban Mumbai after complaining of severe pain on Tuesday night.

Confirming that his wife Niketa had a miscarriage on Tuesday, Haresh Mehta said, "If not the court, at least god was on our side."

Niketa's husband has blamed intense media pressure for his wife's high blood pressure and increased stress level which led to the miscarriage.

Niketa's appeal caught the nation's imagination after she sought to terminate her 25-week-old foetus, after medical reports that her child would be born with a complete congenital heart blockage and malpositioned arteries.

The report had claimed that the child would have required a pacemaker soon after birth. The couple had approached the court as the Pregnancy Act of 71 prevented termination of pregnancy after 20 weeks.

On August 4, the court turned down Mehtas plea. The court had also said that medical evidence did not suggest that the foetus needed to be aborted.

(Courtesy: Timesofindia.com)