Monday, May 18, 2015

Aruna Shanbaug: world's oldest comatose patient

This article is about the horrible incident which took place in Bombay-rape of a nurse 42 years ago…
Aruna Shanbaug young of 1973 and of today before her death


It was the night of 27 November 1973, when a young nurse of 25 years of age, had fallen to victim to the brutality of a man. This attacker was none other, but the ward boy-Sohanlal Bhartha Walmiki-of the KEM Hospital where Aruna Shanbaug was working as a trainee nurse in the city of Bombay-present Mumbai.


She was attacked and a dog chain was tied to her neck while she was being raped. That ordeal of few minutes blocked the blood supply to her brain and resulted in brain stem contusion and injury to her cervical cord, leaving her cortically blind. The culprit left the victim in this state until she was rescued. The whole episode had a left the victim in a state wherein she could not recognise people but pain.

42 long years when she lived on the mercy of the staff of KEM Hospital, who mostly willingly kept on taking care of this living mass of flesh with deteriorating muscles.
It is said that she would only respond to the few sound and put out her tongue for check-up, when injected showed the sign of pain, and was being fed through mouth. Would only stop eating when full, but could not speak. According to the book of Pinki Virani; Aruna’s Story: The True Account of a Rape and itsAftermath; she used to shout sometime, laugh hysterically, weep softly, sometimes it was combination of crying and laughing, never been understood by the people of the world as to what Aruna wanted to say.

The culprit was not punished for this crime which left life of Aruna into literal hell. He was only charged for assault and robbery but not for rape. This is really strange thing which I am not able to understand as to why the person was not charge for rape!

May be the people who are well read with judiciary could understand the intricacy of this case and similar cases wherein the victim is punished for no fault of her and the culprit is scot free even after committing a crime which is heinous in eyes of society, humanity and God alike!

When Aruna Shanbaug died on 18 May 2015 at KEM Hospital in Mumbai she was the world's oldest comatose patient. May her soul rest in peace in the other world which is waiting for all…

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