Supreme Court of India

Aruna Ramchandra Shanbaug v. Union of India and Others

Neutral citation

Reported as [2011] 4 S.C.R. 1057

Bench Markandey Katju J.

Decided 7 March 2011

INSC stands for INDIAN SUPREME COURT. A neutral citation scheme assigned by the Court itself, so a judgment can be cited without depending on a commercial law reporter. INSC is the neutral citation scheme assigned by the Supreme Court, so a judgment can be cited without depending on a commercial law reporter.

6 Supreme Court benches have cited this judgment.

What the Court ordered

We are of the opinion that it is the KEM Hospital staff who is really the next friend of Aruna Shanbaug.

Judgment, page 112

From the headnote

Human Rights: Euthanasia - Withdrawal of life support - Writ petition c filed in Supreme Court seeking euthanasia for a 60 year old woman - Petitioner was a Staff Nurse working in KEM Hospital, Mumbai, who was assaulted by a sweeper in the hospital who sodomized her and during this act twisted a dog chain around her neck due to which supply of oxygen to the 0 Petitioner's brain stopped and her brain got damaged - Petitioner lay bed-ridden in KEM Hospital, Mumbai since 1973 allegedly in a Persistent Vegetative State (PVS) - Held: The Petitioner cannot be said to be dead - Even from the report

Authorities it was built on

1975 State of Kerala & Anr. v. N. M. Thomas & Ors. cited by 30

Where later benches applied it

2025 Ajay Malik v. State of Uttarakhand & Anr. relied on
2018 Dr. Ashwani Kumar v. Union of India & Ors. relied on
2018 Justice K. S. Puttaswamy (retd.) v. Union of India & Ors. relied on
2025 Om Prakash @ Israel @ Raju @ Raju Das v. Union of India and Another referred to
2022 Jacob Puliyel v. Union of India & Ors. referred to
2013 S. Subramaniam Balaji v. The Government of Tamil Nadu & Ors. referred to

Of those, 3 relied on · 3 referred to

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