Elderly Gujarat couple seeks euthanasia citing prolonged mental and financial harassment
PTC News Desk: A 73-year-old man and his 68-year-old wife from Surat, Gujarat, have appealed to the District Collector for permission to undergo euthanasia, claiming they have endured years of physical, mental, and financial harassment from officials of the Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) and local political leaders.
The couple, Shyambhai Kapoorji Gehlot and his wife Madhuben, said the repeated sealing of their shops has pushed them into financial ruin and caused severe emotional distress. Their hardships worsened after a tragic road accident on November 7, 2016, in which nine members of their family—including their only son, daughter-in-law, grandchildren, daughter, son-in-law, and another relative—lost their lives. Since then, the elderly couple have been living alone and relying solely on each other for support.
According to the Gehlots, they purchased 11 small shops in 2006 and regularly paid taxes after the area came under the jurisdiction of the Surat Municipal Corporation in 2008.
They alleged that in 2021, the then Executive Engineer of the SMC sealed their shops without prior notice. The couple challenged the action in the Gujarat High Court and fought a legal battle that lasted nearly five years.
The Gehlots claimed that after a fire department report concluded that the small shops did not require the fire safety measures applicable to larger establishments, the shops were reopened on January 31 this year. However, they alleged that shortly after winning their case in the High Court, the shops were sealed again on May 30 on the instructions of the current Executive Engineer.
The couple further claimed that no written notice or explanation was provided before the latest action was taken.
Shyambhai Gehlot alleged that officials were pressuring him to meet a local BJP leader and suggested there was an attempt to take control of his properties. He said that despite repeatedly seeking answers, authorities failed to provide any written justification for sealing the shops.
Expressing deep frustration and despair, Gehlot wrote in his appeal, “We have no desire left to live. If justice is not possible, death is the only option left.”
The couple has requested permission for euthanasia, stating that they can no longer endure the alleged harassment and suffering.
- With inputs from agencies
