JUDGMENT :

An anguished couple is knocking at the doors of this Court seeking permission to terminate the pregnancy of the 1st petitioner, which has gone beyond the gestational limit of 20 weeks prescribed under the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act 1971.

2. According to the petitioners, though they were overjoyed on realising that the 1st petitioner has conceived for the second time, with the last menstrual date as 18-11-2019,

they had the shock of their rives when the scan conducted on 20-4-2020, suggested several anomalies for the growing foetus. The report indicated that due to lack of amniotic fluid - a condition medically known as Oligohydramnios, foetal organs could not be visualised. The scan report suspected a condition called bilateral Renal Angenesis, which in common parlance means absence of both kidneys and she was referred to the SAT Hospital Thiruvananthepurern, With the referral report issued by the Holy Cross Hospital, Adoor and the records, petitioners rushed to Sree Avittam Thirunal Hospital and Medica1 College at Thiruvanathapuram. After detailed assessment, the doctors at SAT hospital confirmed the findings recorded by the referring hospital. It was however inf