Bengaluru woman moves Delhi HC to stop man from travelling abroad for euthanasia

In her plea, the 49-year-old petitioner has sought a direction to the central government not to grant “emigration clearance” to her friend

A 49-year-old woman from Bengaluru has approached the Delhi High Court to stop her friend, a Noida-based 48-year-old man with a debilitating health condition, from travelling to Europe allegedly to undergo medically assisted suicide or euthanasia as the option is not available here to a person not terminally ill.

The petition filed through advocate Subhash Chandran K R claimed the man has been suffering from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome since 2014 and has planned to travel to Switzerland for physician-assisted suicide.

The woman, who has described herself as a close friend of the patient, contended that his parents, other family members and friends would suffer “irreparable loss” and “hardship” if the plea to halt his travel is not allowed.

The plea claimed her friend was taking a treatment described as Fecal Microbiota Transplantation in AIIMS for his condition. But in view of the pandemic situation and donor availability issues, he could not continue. The symptoms started in 2014 and his condition deteriorated over the past eight years, making him “completely bed bound and just able to walk a few steps inside the home”.

The man, who has got septuagenarian parents and a sister, is now adamant about his decision to go for euthanasia, even though there are no financial constraints for him to seek better treatments here or abroad, his plea stated.

The woman friend has asked the court to issue direction to the authorities not to grant emigration clearance to the man as he has made "false claims" for his travel. She also sought a direction to constitute a medical team to examine him.

Her plea claimed the patient had earlier obtained a Schengen visa, which permits unrestricted travel to 26 European countries, on “false information” that he is seeking treatment at a clinic in Belgium.

In fact, he travelled to Zurich in Switzerland in June via Belgium for the first round of psychological evaluation for euthanasia, the plea claimed.

According to the woman's lawyer, the plea may come up for a hearing next week.

In 2018, the Supreme Court, by a judgement, made passive euthanasia legal for terminally ill persons.