KOCHI: Kerala High Court has granted permission to extract and cryopreserve the gametes of a man declared brain-dead, following a petition filed by his wife seeking to preserve the possibility of having a biological child in the future.
The wife submitted that the doctors treating her husband have informed her that he is suffering from extensive cerebral venous thrombosis following chickenpox two weeks earlier, which has now resulted in brain death, and he is currently being kept alive on ventilator support.
She has expressed her desire to extract and cryopreserve her husband’s gametes for future use in Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) procedures. However, her husband is unable to grant consent for the same, as contemplated under Section 22 of the Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) Act, due to his present medical condition.
According to her, there is no possibility of obtaining written informed consent from him, and if the matter is delayed any further, irreparable hardship may be caused in view of his health condition and the impending chance of paternity. Her counsel informed that the private hospital in Kozhikode is having licence under the ART (Regulation) Act for extracting and preserving gametes.
While granting permission to extract and cryopreserve the gametes, Justice M B Snehalatha made it clear that no further procedure under the ART (Regulation) Act shall be carried out without the permission of the court.
HC PULLS UP GOVT OVER DELAY IN VICTIM COMPENSATION
KOCHI: Coming down heavily on the delay in the disbursement of compensation to victims, including sexual assault survivors, the Kerala High Court on Monday said it would pass orders to attach the treasury accounts of the state government if the amounts due to the Victim Compensation Fund and the fees payable to mediators are not released within a week.
The division bench said, “We direct the Secretary to the Government, Finance Department, to be personally present with an affidavit explaining the reason for not releasing the victim compensation and the mediator fees. In the event that the funds are not released within a period of one week, we shall be constrained to pass appropriate orders attaching the accounts to the extent due on such parts.”
VELLAPPALLY FILES APPEAL AGAINST DISQUALIFICATION
KOCHI: Vellappally Natesan and his son, Thushar Vellappally, on Monday filed an appeal challenging a single judge’s order disqualifying them from serving as the general secretary and vice-president, respectively, of the SNDP Yogam.
The petitioners submitted that the single judge proceeded on the premise that the Yogam had failed to file annual returns and had therefore incurred disqualification under Section 164(2) of the Companies Act. They contended that, in view of the wider objectives of the Yogam, which are not confined to the State of Kerala, the Kerala Act is not applicable.
Hence, the returns were being filed before the Registrar of Companies. The materials on record clearly establish that the annual returns were filed within the extended time permitted by the authorities.