A 28-year-old mother of four has moved the Delhi High Court seeking compensation from the Delhi government for the failure of a government-run Parivar Seva Clinic to sterilise her, leading to her fourth pregnancy.
The petition, which seeks implementation of the Centre's Family Planning Indemnity Scheme, was listed for hearing in the court of Justice Vibhu Bakhru on Friday. Since Justice Bakhru was not available on that day, the woman's plea has been listed for hearing on 16 January.
According to the woman's plea, filed through advocate Sija Nair Pal, she underwent the sterilisation procedure on 9 August 2016.
However, in May when she went to the clinic for a check up it was found that she was 14 weeks pregnant, the plea said.
She alleged that the clinic did not provide her with any "pre or post-sterilisation counselling about the procedure, potential risks or post-surgery care or possibility of failure."
"The respondents (Delhi government, its health department and the clinic), however, did not offer any medical support to the petitioner throughout the pregnancy," the plea said, adding that the clinic offered to carry out an abortion for Rs 3,000.
As she could not afford the cost of abortion, she decided to go ahead with her pregnancy and on 8 November gave birth to a baby girl.
According to the petitioner, under the Centre's scheme, Rs 30,000 is the compensation provided for failure of sterilisation procedure.
Apart from the amount provided under the scheme, she has also sought compensation for the mental agony suffered by her in going ahead with an "unwanted" or "forced" pregnancy.
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