Woman in India Dies Following Early-Term Abortion
Source: Indian Express Newspaper; February 27, 2001

Mumbai, India -- A case has been registered by the Tardeo, India police
against an abortion practitioner attached to the family planning center of
the Indian Medical Association at Tardeo for being negligent while
performing an abortion on a woman, who died last night.

According to police sources, Vidya Sonawane(28) was two months pregnant
and had requested for an abortion. The abortion was performed by Dr
Neelang Shah. However, shortly after the abortion, the woman became
critical and was shifted to Nair Hospital, where she died, the police
said.

Her husband, Waman Sonawane, made a complaint at Tardeo police station
that the doctor had been negligent while performing the abortion. Police
sources said a case has been registered under section 304(a) of the Indian
Penal Code, and Shah had been called for a statement. Though he has not
yet been arrested, the police will decide on the future course of action
only after the post mortem examination, sources said.

The President of the Indian Medical Association, Dr SG Shanbag, said the
center is a government recognized center and Shah has been working here
full time for several years. This was the first incident of its kind and
they would wait for the police investigation into this case, he said.