Mumbai, Aug 1 (IANS) The Bombay High Court Friday ordered additional medical tests on a 25-week pregnant woman after the couple petitioned for abortion following doctors’ opinion that the child, if born, would have lifelong cardiac problems. Abortions after 20 weeks are not allowed under the law, unless the pregnancy threatens the mother’s life. A division bench, comprising Justice P.B. Mujumdar and Justice A.A. Sayyad, said the doctors’ team must give its clear and confirmed opinion on the condition of the unborn child to enable the court take a decision in the case.

The couple,stockbroker Haresh Mehta and his wife Niketa have contended that as per the doctors’ opinion, the unborn child has a heart blockage that would require a permanent pace-maker and the baby’s right and left ventricles are also interchanged.

The case poses a direct challenge to the abortion law since Niketa is now 25 weeks pregnant - well beyond the permissible limit for abortion.

The Mehtas said they have a relative whose child suffers a serious congenital defect, causing trauma to the parents.

They felt that instead of making their to-be-born child suffer with a congenital heart problem all its life, it would be better to abort it. But the couple was prevented by the law.

The Bombay High Court will hear the case Monday.

Haresh and Niketa, both 31, had a love marriage and were eagerly anticipating the new arrival in the family.

Later, they learnt that the unborn child suffers from certain defects in the heart. They deliberated over it at length, sought medical opinion from different doctors and then decided to go for an abortion.