India hopes for fair Irish probe into Savita's death

A woman holds a picture of Savita Halappanava during a candle lit vigil outside Belfast City Hall, Northern Ireland, Thursday, Nov. 15, 2012, for Savita Halappanavar, the 31-year old Indian woman who was 17-weeks pregnant when she died of blood poisoning after suffering a miscarriage in Galway, Ireland, on 28 October. Savita Halappanavar's father, Andanappa Yalagi, said the combination of medical negligence and Irish abortion laws led to his daughter's death. The parents of an Indian woman who suffered a miscarriage and died after being refused an abortion in an Irish hospital slammed Ireland's abortion laws Thursday. AP

India Tuesday said it expected a transparent investigation by Ireland into the death of Savita Halappanavar, an Indian pregnant woman who died after doctors there refused an abortion citing Catholic laws of the country.

India's Overseas Indian Affairs Minister Vayalar Ravi told reporters here: "I hope political parties will take a decision  that such incidents are not repeated."

"We can definitely say that the law must protect the life of every human being. Faith, nobody can question. But that does not mean you can restrict medical aid and let the patient die," Ravi said here when asked about Savita's death and what India expected from Ireland.

"That is why there is anger all over the globe, including in Ireland where people have shown their resentment," he said.

"Human rights institutions can and will take up the issue and ensure the investigation is transparent," he added.

Savita, from Karnataka, died of septicaemia Oct 28 in Ireland after doctors there refused to remove the foetus following a miscarriage on the ground that Ireland was a Catholic country.

Savita had arrived Oct 21 with back pain at Galway University Hospital where she was found to be miscarrying at 17 weeks.

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