Delhi High Court allows withdrawal of petition to stop man from travelling to Europe for Euthanasia

The Delhi High Court on Thursday allowed a Bengaluru woman to withdraw her petition seeking its intervention to stop her 48-year-old male friend’s trip to Europe to allegedly undergo Euthanasia..Justice Yashwant Varma was informed by petitioner’s advocate that her friend was "deeply traumatised" after coming to know about the petition, and therefore, she wanted to withdraw it.The judge allowed the request with a direction to the Registry to mask the identity of the petitioner as well as her friend..Euthanasia is not available in India unless a medical board suggests that the patient is suffering from a terminal disease and has reached a point of no return..The petitioner had informed the High Court that in 2014, the man was diagnosed with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome - a complex, debilitating, long-term neuro inflammatory disease – as a result of which he is now completely bed-ridden.It was stated that the man had already travelled once to Switzerland, which provides physician-assisted suicide, for psychological evaluation.“It is pertinent to mention that there are no financial constraints for providing Respondent No.3 (the patient) with better treatments within India or abroad. But he is now adamant on his decision to go for Euthanasia, which also affect the life of age old parents miserably. It is humbly submitted that there still persists a ray of hope for the betterment of his condition,” the petition said.The petition thus sought a direction to the Union Minister of External Affairs (MEA) to reject emigration clearance to the man since he has made false claims before Indian as well as foreign authorities for getting travel clearance.It also sought a direction to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) to constitute a medical board to examine the man’s health and provide necessary assistance, considering his peculiar health condition.