Aruna Shanbaug Case, Was In Vegetative State For 42 Yrs, Dr Fiance Waited, SC Denied Euthanasia

Aruna Shanbaug's case has been one of the most tragic and power-packed legal battles seen in the Indian judicial and medical history. Aruna Shanbaug was a young nurse working at King Edward Memorial Hospital in Mumbai. It was in November 1973 when her world changed after a ward boy, Sohanlal Bhartha Valmiki, assaulted her.

Aruna Shanbaug was changing her clothes in the basement of the hospital when she was strangulated by Valmiki with a dog chain, which was tied around her neck. Aruna spent more than four decades in a vegetative state before she died in 2015. Aruna Shanbaug was engaged to a young doctor back then who worked at the same hospital. The name of her fiance reportedly was Dr Sundeep Sardesai.

Aruna Shanbaug was engaged to a doctor, and the couple was to marry soon

Aruna Shanbaug's case had sparked a national debate as she had spent more than four decades in a vegetative state before her demise in 2015. Aruna was born on June 1, 1958, back in Haldipur, Karnataka. She had shifted to Mumbai's KEM Hospital, where she had worked as a junior nurse in the surgery department. When the brutal attack happened on Aruna, she was merely 25 years of age. Aruna seemed to have been engaged to a young doctor named, Dr. Sundeep Sardesai and the pair was going to get married back in 1974. Aruna was known to be a very hardworking and compassionate nurse.

Aruna Shanbaug's fiance had waited for 10 years before he got married

Aruna Shanbaug was all set to marry Dr Sundeep Sardesai. His name cropped up on social media. Dr Sundeep was a resident doctor at KEM. The nurses at the KEM hospital used to daily check on Aruna even years post the attack left her in a vegetative condition. A report by The Times of India revealed that Aruna Shanbaug's fiancé, Dr Sundeep Sardesai, had reportedly moved abroad. Some reports mentioned that whenever he was in Dadar, he would stop by the hospital from time to time. Aruna's late sister, Shanta Nayak, had revealed that Dr Sardesai had not got married for 10 years post the attack on Aruna. He reportedly later got married under high-end pressure from his family.

Was Aruna Shanbaug engaged to Dr Pratap Desai?

A report by the Mumbai Mirror revealed that Aruna Shanbaug was engaged to Dr. Pratap Desai. It was reported that the doctor had fallen in love with Aruna four decades back. On one hand, Sohanlal (Walmiki, who raped and strangled Shanbaug, who was 25 then) had it easy. He moved on with life after just seven years in prison. Aruna was denied euthanasia by the Supreme Court and, in the interview, the doctor revealed:

"I wasn’t in touch with Aruna for so many years, which is why I also distance myself from the debate on euthanasia. People who cared for her, witnessed her suffering and kept her ‘alive’ are the best people to comment on the euthanasia laws in the country."

Why was Aruna Shanbaug denied euthanasia?

It was in 2009 that a journalist and activist, Pinki Virani, filed a petition before the Supreme Court of India. She wanted to seek permission for euthanasia, also called mercy killing. Pinki had argued that Aruna died on the night of the assault, but as she was kept in a vegetative state, she was deprived of her dignity. Pinki wanted the court to withdraw Aruna's life support so that she could have a peaceful death. The petition had created an intense national debate related to patient rights, implications of euthanasia and also the moral implications related to euthanasia. The staff, along with the doctors at the KEM hospital, had opposed the same and had argued that Aruna was not brain dead and that they would continue to care for her.

The Supreme Court ruled that individuals had the right to die with dignity after the Aruna Shanbaug case

SC first recognised passive euthanasia as legally permissible after Aruna Shanbaug was denied the same despite being in a vegetative state. In 2011, the SC gave a historic verdict allowing the removal of life support with the High Court's approval. Article 21 of the Indian Constitution recognises the right to die with dignity and includes guidelines on a living will. Patients can pre-authorise withdrawal of treatment in terminally ill cases. The court laid down guidelines related to passive euthanasia under extreme circumstances. This is how euthanasia-related laws were changed.

Aruna Shanbaug was sexually assaulted, which cut off the oxygen supply to her brain

It was the night of November 27, 1973, when Aruna was in the hospital basement of KEM, changing her clothes. A ward attendant called Sohanlal assaulted her with a dog chain. The strangulation led to the cutting off of the oxygen supply to her brain. Due to the same, irreversible damage to the brain happened, which left her paralysed. She could not move, talk, or respond to the world. Aruna then shifted into a vegetative state, and due to the legal and investigative shortcomings back then, Sohanlal was not convicted of rape. He is scout free.

What are your views on the Aruna Shanbaug case?

Also Read: Who Is Harish Rana? Studied Engineering, In Coma Since 13 Years, SC Granted Passive Euthanasia

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