Aruna Shanbaug Case (2011)
The Precursor Judgment
The legal journey towards recognising passive euthanasia in India began formally with Aruna Ramchandra Shanbaug v. Union of India, decided by a two-judge bench (Justice Markandey Katju and Justice Gyan Sudha Misra) on March 7, 2011. Aruna Shanbaug, a nurse at KEM Hospital Mumbai, had been in a vegetative state since 1973 after a brutal assault left her brain-damaged. A petition was filed seeking permission for passive euthanasia on her behalf.
- The Court rejected the specific petition (because KEM Hospital staff, who cared for Aruna, opposed withdrawal), but used the occasion to frame broad guidelines on passive euthanasia for India.
- It held that passive euthanasia is permitted in specific circumstances, establishing the procedure of approaching the relevant High Court under Article 226.
- The High Court was required to appoint a bench of at least two judges and constitute a committee of three doctors to evaluate the patient's condition before any decision could be taken.
- Aruna Shanbaug passed away naturally in 2015, more than four decades after the assault.
- The 2011 judgment was expressly superseded by the more detailed framework in Common Cause (2018).
● Tracked since March 11, 2026 · last seen March 24, 2026 · updates as the daily brief publishes
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