Narmadapuram (Madhya Pradesh): A retired home guard and his wife walked up to the weekly public hearing being held at the collectorate on Tuesday. Collector Neeraj Kumar Singh and other officials, hearing the people’s complaints, looked at them thinking the couple’s complaint would be like anyone else’s.
They, however, came up with an unusual complaint – the couple wanted euthanasia or mercy killing.
It surprised all the officers hearing people’s complaints. There was a pin-drop silence in the collectorate for a while.
Home guard Maharaj Singh Rajput, resident of Babai came to the public hearing along with wife Shobha Rajput and demanded euthanasia from the collector.
The story Rajput related was shocking. He said the district commandant of the home guard retired him on April 6 this year.
The period of his service has been shown as 40 years, five months and 24 day. He has not been given gratuity, pension or any other benefits, Rajput said.
According to Rajput, since he has no means of income, he finds it hard to make both ends meet, so he and his wife have sought permission for euthanasia.
The collector has asked the additional district magistrate Manoj Thakur to hear the case.
Thakur told Rajput that he could not give him permission for euthanasia, so Rajput should go to the office of the home guard and relate his story to the officials there. Similarly, Rajput’s wife, Shobha, said they had no means of livelihood, besides since her husband is keeping ill, he cannot do anything.
Therefore, they have no other way but to seek permission for mercy killing, she said.
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