TN woman seeks permission to euthanise son

A woman in Tamil Nadu has asked the government authorities to let her euthanise her mentally ill 18-year-old son, reigniting the debate on euthanasia.

The police said 51-year-old Manimegalai, a widowed mother of two sons hailing from  Coimbatore’s Sukarwarpet area, approached District Collector Hariharan to obtain permission to put down her son Jai Ganesh, who has been causing trouble for her
neighbours.

Manimegalai said her second son had a “mysterious” illness when he was 14 and developed serious mental issues. Jai Ganesh began walking in the house in the nude and began inflicting injuries on himself either with pieces of wood or with a knife. Manimegalai admitted her son at the Kilpauk mental hospital in Chennai, but authorities there sent him home since they were short of orderlies.

A daily wage labourer, Manimegalai had to feed three children and therefore had no means to look after her mentally ill son after her husband’s death. As a final option, she approached the district collector  asking for his permission to euthanise Jai Ganesh. The district authorities refused her request and sent her for counselling.