The fate of an Indian Terri Schiavo will be decided on Monday by the Supreme Court in Delhi. Aruna Shanbaug, a Mumbai nurse, has been in a coma since 1973, after she was strangled and sexually assaulted in a hospital ward. Her own family abandoned her a few days later. Her fiancé, a doctor, also moved on after a couple of years. The hospital nursing staff have since been taking care of her ever since.

Writer and activist Pinki Virani, the author of a book about Ms Shanbaug’s plight, has asked authorities to order the hospital to remove her feeding tube so that she can starve to death.

The Indian government opposes the application. “Withdrawal or withholding of food to Aruna Shanbaug would be cruel, reprehensible and lead to pain and suffering. It cannot be allowed,” attorney-general G.E. Vahanvati told the court. “This is unknown to Indian law and is contrary to law,” he said, adding that she had the “right to live in her present state”.

King Edward Memorial hospital, where Ms Shanbaug is being nursed, also opposes the move. “We have taken care of her for over 38 years. If we do not make an application seeking to end her life, Ms Virani cannot,” said the hospital’s lawyer. ~ Calcutta Telegraph, Mar 2