Kolkata: Cancer invaded Jain woman, on Santhara, passes away
As she could not bear the pain of cancer anymore, the woman from Jain community- Sohini Devi Dugar- reportedly had overtaken Santhara and stopped having food and water until her death since 7:15 pm. on Sept 20.
Santhara or Sallekhana or Samadhi-marana or Sanyasana-marana is the Jain practice of facing death voluntarily, by fasting unto death, at the end of one's life.
Cancer in a lung of Sohini Devi was detected last year and she was released from a hospital on Sept 20, reports said.
Her family members supported the decision of the 83-year-old.
Earlier on Aug 10 in 2015, the Rajasthan High Court banned the Jain ritual Santhara, comparing it to an act of suicide, and made it a penal offence under IPC Section 309 (Attempt to suicide).
Later in September last year, a division bench of the Supreme Court, led by the then Chief Justice H. L. Dattu, restored the Jain practice, by putting a stay on the order of the Rajasthan High Court.
(Reporting by Deepayan Sinha)
Image Courtesy: ABP Ananda.
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