Woman Withdraws HC Plea to Stop Friend From Travelling to Europe for Euthanasia

"The patient is extremely traumatised. Considering his situation, the plea is withdrawn," the woman's counsel said.

The Bengaluru-based woman who filed a writ petition before the Delhi High Court in an attempt to prevent her friend from travelling to Switzerland for euthanasia withdrew her plea on Thursday, 18 August.

(Photo: The Quint)

(If you feel suicidal or know someone in distress, please reach out to them with kindness and call these numbers of local emergency services, helplines, and mental health NGOs.)

A Bengaluru-based woman who had filed a writ petition before the Delhi High Court to prevent her friend from travelling to Switzerland in a reported bid for euthanasia withdrew her plea on Thursday, 18 August.

Advocate Subhash Chandran, the woman's counsel, apprised Justice Yashwant Varma that he was instructed to withdraw the plea by the woman as her friend, who is suffering from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and on whom she had sought the travel ban, was "deeply traumatised" by her filing of the case, LiveLaw reported.

Further, the high court has reportedly ordered the Registry to mask all personal details of the man from judicial records.

Speaking to The Quint, Advocate Chandran said, "a written statement was taken from the petitioner and the case was withdrawn."

"The patient is extremely traumatised. Considering his situation, the petition is withdrawn," he added.

Background

On 10 August, the woman had filed a plea stating that her friend, a Noida-based man, was suffering from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome since 2014, and was looking to travel to Switzerland for physician-assisted suicide (or euthanasia).

She sought to prevent that from happening by requesting the court for a direction to the Indian government to not grant emigration clearance to the man.

As per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is a serious, long-term illness that affects many body systems, resulting in the patients not being able to do their usual day-to-day activities.

(With inputs from LiveLaw.)