BOMBAY, 10 May 2006 — Four members of a Muslim family in Bombay filed a petition in the Supreme Court of India, requesting permission to end their lives. This has sent shock waves amongst the Muslim community of the city. Mukhtar Ahmed Shaikh, is an asthmatic patient, and his wife Sufia Begum, is a uterine cancer survivor.

The couple’s daughter Khurshida, 30, and son Mehfoz Ahmed, 26, suffer from limb girdle muscular dystrophy, an incurable and crippling condition. Khurshida was divorced by her husband after he learned of her condition.

The family resides in Dharavi, Asia’s largest slum. Their only healthy child, Khalid, 19, stays home and cares for his ailing family.

In the petition filed in the Supreme Court through the assistance of a social worker, Mukhtar said that the four wanted to kill themselves due to their inability to bear the financial burdens the afflictions are placing on them. Mukhtar rarely earns more than IR2000 (about $44) in a month by doing odd jobs.

He said he takes his children to the JJ Hospital, the only medical facility in Bombay that offers social support programs, at a cost of IR400 per visit. He says the hospital has given up on treating his children, though he still must go there for occasional checkups.

I have approached several organizations for help but all in futile,” Mukhtar said. “In these circumstance I am left with no alternative but to approach the Supreme Court, with begging palms, as I have no way to live in this world.”

“The case is made up of piety and pity,” said Mujeeb Khan, a well known film, TV and drama writer-director. “They need the community support and counseling.”

Though the suicide petition has been admitted, it is yet to be listed and heard by the judges of the Supreme Court. Lawyers were of the opinion that as committing suicide is a crime in India, and it was unlikely that the judges would give a decision in favor of the family.

However, the lawyers said, that in view of a recent Rajasthan High Court ruling, which petitioned the government to explain why a litigant in Bikanaer could not legally end his life, the Supreme Court in Bombay may resort to a similar decision.