📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Avnish.vikas
Crime
Man Forces Wife to Abort After Learning Fetus Is Female, She Dies
✍️ NDTV
🗓 31 Oct 2026, 06:49 PM
👁 1
Police say a woman died following an illegal abortion after her husband and in‑laws demanded a son upon learning the fetus was female.
Police investigations reveal that a woman succumbed to complications after undergoing an illegal abortion. The procedure was allegedly performed after her family discovered the unborn child was female, prompting her husband and in‑laws to demand a male heir.
According to the authorities, the couple sought the termination despite legal prohibitions, and the abortion was carried out in a non‑medical setting. The woman reportedly suffered severe internal injuries and died before she could receive adequate medical care.
The case underscores the persistent issue of gender‑based discrimination and illegal abortions in India. Law enforcement has opened a criminal case against the husband and other family members for alleged involvement in the unlawful procedure and negligence leading to death.
Legal experts note that performing an abortion outside licensed facilities violates the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act, and coercing a woman into the act can attract severe penalties, including imprisonment.
The incident has reignited calls for stricter enforcement of gender‑equality laws and better awareness about safe, legal abortion services across the country.
According to the authorities, the couple sought the termination despite legal prohibitions, and the abortion was carried out in a non‑medical setting. The woman reportedly suffered severe internal injuries and died before she could receive adequate medical care.
The case underscores the persistent issue of gender‑based discrimination and illegal abortions in India. Law enforcement has opened a criminal case against the husband and other family members for alleged involvement in the unlawful procedure and negligence leading to death.
Legal experts note that performing an abortion outside licensed facilities violates the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act, and coercing a woman into the act can attract severe penalties, including imprisonment.
The incident has reignited calls for stricter enforcement of gender‑equality laws and better awareness about safe, legal abortion services across the country.