Fiji Abortion Practitioner Convicted in Botched Abortion Death Appeals 
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by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
May 22, 2006
Suva, Fiji (LifeNews.com) — A Fiji abortion practitioner who was responsible for the botched abortion that killed a 20 year-old student is appealing his sentence. Sachida Mudaliar has also asked a judge to release him on bail pending his appeal of his conviction.
Mudaliar was found guilty in the death of student Poonam Kumar for a botched abortion he did on her in March 2003.
Officials found Kumar dead at Mudaliar’s abortion business in Nabua, after he left her overnight in his abortion business following her death.
Mudaliar was convicted on one count of manslaughter and sentenced to just three years in prison.
Justice Anthony Gates, in his ruling, said Mudaliar was guilty of botching the abortion and guilty of gross negligence in the case.
Gates said Mudaliar knew that Kumar was at risk if she underwent the abortion. She was 20 weeks pregnant at the time and had excessive bleeding and shock after the abortion. The abortion tore her uterus and led to the massive bleeding.
In his ruling, Gates cited Mudaliar’s failure to transfer Kumar to the intensive care unit at the Colonial War Memorial Hospital once he noticed the abortion went awry.
Mehboob Raza, Mudaliar’s attorney, told the media that he filed the appeal Monday morning for the sentence that was handed down on Friday. The Fiji High Court has yet to set a date for the appeals hearing or the bail request.
"We now have to wait for the High Court to deliver on the date set for the appeals case, and if bail is granted to my client for that duration," Raza told the Fiji Times.
