The Delhi High Court has been asked to prevent a chronically ill man from travelling abroad to end his life with medical assistance. Mint via Getty Images
The Delhi High Court has been asked to prevent a chronically ill man from travelling abroad to end his life with medical assistance. Mint via Getty Images
The Delhi High Court has been asked to prevent a chronically ill man from travelling abroad to end his life with medical assistance. Mint via Getty Images
The Delhi High Court has been asked to prevent a chronically ill man from travelling abroad to end his life with medical assistance. Mint via Getty Images

Indian woman in court to stop friend's euthanasia attempt in Europe


Taniya Dutta
  • English
  • Arabic

An Indian woman has filed a petition in court to try to stop a male friend from travelling to Switzerland to undergo euthanasia or assisted suicide.

The 49-year-old petitioner from southern Bengaluru city, whose name has not been revealed, filed a petition in Delhi High Court seeking government intervention to stop her 48-year-old friend from travelling to Europe.

Euthanasia is the practice of intentionally ending life to relieve pain or suffering — and is partially legal in Switzerland.

India allows passive euthanasia by means of withdrawal of life support to patients in a "permanent vegetative state".

The petition, filed on Wednesday, said the man from Noida, a satellite city outside Delhi, was in 2014 found to be suffering from chronic fatigue syndrome, a disorder in which the person experiences extreme fatigue and worsening physical and mental activity.

In the past eight years, his condition has deteriorated and he is now “bed-bound and is able to walk just a few steps inside home”, the petition said.

He was undergoing faecal microbiota transplantation, a treatment in the capital’s premier government-run All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS) hospital for his condition, but could not continue during the Covid-19 pandemic owing “to donor availability issues”, the petition said.

He contacted Dignitas, an organisation in Zurich, Switzerland, which provides physician-assisted suicide.

'Looking at euthanasia options'

He travelled to Zurich for the first round of psychological evaluation in June this year and was waiting for the final decision, expected by the end of August.

“Looking at euthanasia options. Had enough," said a message sent by the man to the petitioner that she has attached in the petition.

But the petitioner says that if he is granted permission to travel, he will undergo assisted suicide that will cause his parents, who are in their 70s, other family members and friends "irreparable loss and hardship, who still have a ray of hope for the betterment of his condition”.

The petitioner further claims that the friend has made “false claims” before Indian as well as foreign authorities for getting travel permissions.

“He is misleading the Indian authorities, that is why we are praying for not granting him emigration clearance. We have no other option,” Subash Chandran, the advocate who represents the woman in the case, told a local newspaper.

The woman has further sought direction from India’s Health Ministry to constitute a medical board to examine his medical condition and provide him with medical assistance because the inflammatory disease is a "poorly understood condition" and research is still only in the early stages.

An attempt to commit suicide is a criminal offence in India and euthanasia is a controversial subject.

In 2018, India’s Supreme Court delivered a landmark ruling that made passive euthanasia legal for terminally ill individuals, allowing them to refuse the use of life-support measures and letting families of those in incurable coma to withdraw such measures.

The ruling came seven years after the apex court had turned down a plea for euthanasia of a nurse, Aruna Shanbaug, who spent 42 years in a vegetative state after a sexual assault. She died of natural causes in 2015.

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Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm

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Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km

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MATCH INFO

Uefa Champions League, Group B
Barcelona v Inter Milan
Camp Nou, Barcelona
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Chef Nobu's advice for eating sushi

“One mistake people always make is adding extra wasabi. There is no need for this, because it should already be there between the rice and the fish.
“When eating nigiri, you must dip the fish – not the rice – in soy sauce, otherwise the rice will collapse. Also, don’t use too much soy sauce or it will make you thirsty. For sushi rolls, dip a little of the rice-covered roll lightly in soy sauce and eat in one bite.
“Chopsticks are acceptable, but really, I recommend using your fingers for sushi. Do use chopsticks for sashimi, though.
“The ginger should be eaten separately as a palette cleanser and used to clear the mouth when switching between different pieces of fish.”

The specs: 2019 Mini Cooper

Price, base: Dh141,740 (three-door) / Dh165,900 (five-door)
Engine: 1.5-litre four-cylinder (Cooper) / 2.0-litre four-cylinder (Cooper S)
Power: 136hp @ 4,500rpm (Cooper) / 192hp @ 5,000rpm (Cooper S)
Torque: 220Nm @ 1,480rpm (Cooper) / 280Nm @ 1,350rpm (Cooper S)
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 4.8L to 5.4L / 100km

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Director: Saeed Roustaee

Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi

Rating: 4/5

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Something of a fashion anomaly, normcore is essentially a celebration of the unremarkable. The term was first popularised by an article in New York magazine in 2014 and has been dubbed “ugly”, “bland’ and "anti-style" by fashion writers. It’s hallmarks are comfort, a lack of pretentiousness and neutrality – it is a trend for those who would rather not stand out from the crowd. For the most part, the style is unisex, favouring loose silhouettes, thrift-shop threads, baseball caps and boyish trainers. It is important to note that normcore is not synonymous with cheapness or low quality; there are high-fashion brands, including Parisian label Vetements, that specialise in this style. Embraced by fashion-forward street-style stars around the globe, it’s uptake in the UAE has been relatively slow.

WHAT%20ARE%20THE%20PRODUCTS%20WITHIN%20THE%20THREE%20MAJOR%20CATEGORIES%3F
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EAdvanced%20materials%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20specifically%20engineered%20to%20exhibit%20novel%20or%20enhanced%20properties%2C%20that%20confer%20superior%20performance%20relative%20to%20conventional%20materials%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EAdvanced%20components%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20includes%20semiconductor%20components%2C%20such%20as%20microprocessors%20and%20other%20computer%20chips%2C%20and%20computer%20vision%20components%20such%20as%20lenses%20and%20image%20sensors%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EAdvanced%20products%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20includes%20personal%20electronics%2C%20smart%20home%20devices%20and%20space%20technologies%2C%20along%20with%20industry-enabling%20products%20such%20as%20robots%2C%203D%20printing%20equipment%20and%20exoskeletons%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cem%3ESource%3A%20Strategy%26amp%3B%3C%2Fem%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
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These labs deal with pathogens that can be harmful to people and the environment such as Hepatitis, HIV and salmonella.

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Entry is severely restricted to trained and authorised personnel. All entries are recorded.

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Brief scores:

Pakistan (1st innings) 181: Babar 71; Olivier 6-37

South Africa (1st innings) 223: Bavuma 53; Amir 4-62

Pakistan (2nd innings) 190: Masood 65, Imam 57; Olivier 5-59

MATCH INFO

Sheffield United 3

Fleck 19, Mousset 52, McBurnie 90

Manchester United 3

Williams 72, Greenwood 77, Rashford 79

2018 ICC World Twenty20 Asian Western Sub Regional Qualifier

Event info: The tournament in Kuwait is the first phase of the qualifying process for sides from Asia for the 2020 World T20 in Australia. The UAE must finish within the top three teams out of the six at the competition to advance to the Asia regional finals. Success at regional finals would mean progression to the World T20 Qualifier.

Teams: UAE, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Maldives, Qatar

Friday fixtures: 9.30am (UAE time) - Kuwait v Maldives, Qatar v UAE; 3pm - Saudi Arabia v Bahrain

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Groom and Two Brides

Director: Elie Semaan

Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla

Rating: 3/5

Results

6pm: Dubai Trophy – Conditions (TB) $100,000 (Turf) 1,200m 

Winner: Silent Speech, William Buick (jockey), Charlie Appleby
(trainer) 

6.35pm: Jumeirah Derby Trial – Conditions (TB) $60,000 (T)
1,800m 

Winner: Island Falcon, Frankie Dettori, Saeed bin Suroor 

7.10pm: UAE 2000 Guineas Trial – Conditions (TB) $60,000 (Dirt)
1,400m 

Winner: Rawy, Mickael Barzalona, Salem bin Ghadayer 

7.45pm: Al Rashidiya – Group 2 (TB) $180,000 (T) 1,800m 

Winner: Desert Fire, Hector Crouch, Saeed bin Suroor 

8.20pm: Al Fahidi Fort – Group 2 (TB) $180,000 (T) 1,400m 

Winner: Naval Crown, William Buick, Charlie Appleby 

8.55pm: Dubawi Stakes – Group 3 (TB) $150,000 (D) 1,200m 

Winner: Al Tariq, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watsons 

9.30pm: Aliyah – Rated Conditions (TB) $80,000 (D) 2,000m 

Winner: Dubai Icon, Patrick Cosgrave, Saeed bin Suroor  

2020 Oscars winners: in numbers
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  • 1917– 3
  • Ford v Ferrari – 2
  • Joker – 2
  • Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood – 2
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  • The Neighbors' Window – 1
  • Toy Story 4 – 1
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SERIE A FIXTURES

Saturday (All UAE kick-off times)

Cagliari v AC Milan (6pm)

Lazio v Napoli (9pm)

Inter Milan v Atalanta (11.45pm)

Sunday

Udinese v Sassuolo (3.30pm)

Sampdoria v Brescia (6pm)

Fiorentina v SPAL (6pm)

Torino v Bologna (6pm)

Verona v Genoa (9pm)

Roma V Juventus (11.45pm)

Parma v Lecce (11.45pm)

 

 

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'Operation Mincemeat' 

Director: John Madden 

 

Cast: Colin Firth, Matthew Macfayden, Kelly Macdonald and Penelope Wilton

 

Rating: 4/5

 
Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere

Director: Scott Cooper

Starring: Jeremy Allen White, Odessa Young, Jeremy Strong

Rating: 4/5

The specs

Engine: four-litre V6 and 3.5-litre V6 twin-turbo

Transmission: six-speed and 10-speed

Power: 271 and 409 horsepower

Torque: 385 and 650Nm

Price: from Dh229,900 to Dh355,000

England squad

Moeen Ali, James Anderson, Jofra Archer, Jonny Bairstow, Dominic Bess, James Bracey, Stuart Broad, Rory Burns, Jos Buttler, Zak Crawley, Sam Curran, Joe Denly, Ben Foakes, Lewis Gregory, Keaton Jennings, Dan Lawrence, Jack Leach, Saqib Mahmood, Craig Overton, Jamie Overton, Matthew Parkinson, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson, Joe Root, Dom Sibley, Ben Stokes, Olly Stone, Amar Virdi, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood

Updated: August 12, 2022, 11:06 AM