Who was Aruna Shanbaug cited by the Supreme Court during the hearing on the brutal Kolkata rape-murder case?

During a hearing on the recent rape-murder case in Kolkata, Chief Justice DY Chandrachud cited the 1973 Aruna Shanbaug tragedy to highlight the vulnerability of female medical practitioners. The Aruna Shanbaug case, which pushed euthanasia into the national spotlight, entailed Shanbaug being in a vegetative state until her death in 2015.

The Supreme Court took suo motu cognisance of the violent rape and murder of a young trainee doctor at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, drawing attention to workplace violence against healthcare professionals. Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud noted incidents of violence against healthcare workers in West Bengal, Bihar, and Hyderabad, calling the lack of safe working conditions for doctors “deeply” disturbing.

He also recalled the atrocious rape of Aruna Shanbaug in 1973. Her sexual assault is one of the most heinous acts of workplace violence against medical practitioners.

“Due to ingrained patriarchal biases, the relatives of patients are more likely to attack the women doctors and they are more susceptible to sexual violence too and Aruna Shanbaug case is a case in point. Gender violence shows (a) lack of safety for women in the system,” the CJI observed on Tuesday (August 20), as per Bar and Bench.

The Aruna Shanbaug incident, widely regarded as one of the most horrifying assaults on hospital staff, subsequently became a pivotal case in the discussion on euthanasia, or “mercy killing.”

The Aruna Shanbaug case

In 1973, Aruna Shanbaug, a nurse at KEM Hospital in Mumbai, was brutally assaulted and left in a vegetative state. Shanbaug, then 25 years old and working in the hospital’s surgery department, was engaged to be married at the time of the attack.

On the night of November 27, 1973, she was viciously attacked by a ward attendant, Sohanlal Bharta Walmiki. Walmiki sexually assaulted her and then strangled her with a dog chain. The assault left Shanbaug with severe brain damage, resulting in a persistent vegetative state (PVS) from which she never recovered.

The motive behind the attack was reportedly Shanbaug’s threat to report Walmiki for stealing food intended for medical experiments at the hospital. Shanbaug remained in a vegetative state for 42 years, unable to speak and dependent on others for her care, until her death in 2015. During this time, she was sustained through forced feeding. 

According to First Post, Anjali Parade, former sister in-charge of ward number 4, told Outlook last year, “We knew that she would never recover. The attack was so brutal that we would get goosebumps whenever we looked at her lying on that bed getting frail each day. Yes, there were hospital gowns and bedsheets, but each of us wanted her to experience the comfort she may have got if she was normal. None of us had a lot of money then, but the doctors helped too.” 

The legal battle for euthanasia 

Aruna Shanbaug’s case became a focal point in the national debate over euthanasia in 2011, reflecting the profound ethical and legal questions surrounding her quality of life.

A journalist, Pinki Virani, who authored the book ‘Aruna’s Story’, filed a petition in the Supreme Court that year, seeking permission for euthanasia.

As per NDTV, Virani argued that Aruna, who had been in a persistent vegetative state since 1973, should be granted the dignity of death, as her condition prevented her from experiencing any meaningful interaction with life.

On March 7, 2011, in a landmark ruling, the apex court rejected the petition for active euthanasia, citing that Aruna was not brain-dead and had shown some responses to stimuli observed by hospital staff. However, the decision allowed for “passive euthanasia” in certain situations, which involves disconnecting life support from people in a chronic vegetative state.

Aruna Shanbaug passed away on May 18, 2015, due to pneumonia. Her case, however, continues to resonate in discussions on women’s safety in the medical profession and the broader need for systemic reforms. 

Notably, her attacker, Sohanlal Bharta Walmiki, was convicted only of robbery and attempted murder, as “sodomy” was not legally recognized as rape in India at that time. Walmiki was released in 1980 after serving just seven years in prison.

A photograph of Aruna Shanbaug is mounted on a wall in KEM Hospital as a reminder of the need for safer workspaces for women. “The photograph serves as a reminder that the most brutal attack occurred here, at her workplace,” a nurse told Outlook.

Upon Aruna’s death at the age of 66, Virani, the journalist who had championed her cause, reportedly stated, in 2015, “After all these painful years, Aruna has finally received justice. She has found release and peace.

The Aruna Shanbaug case is frequently referenced to highlight the ongoing challenges surrounding women’s safety in the medical field and the pressing need for reforms to better protect them.