Saturday, April 9 2005 16:59 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Patna: The echoes of the mercy killing of Terri Shiavo could be heard nearer home in Bihar when Tarkeshwar Chandravanshi, unable to bear the burden of his comatose wife, approached Governor Buta Singh to bring about suitable amendment to the existing law to allow the mercy killing of his wife.

Tarkeshwar, living in a slum, behind Shastrinagar police station in the State capital, in a petition to the governor on April six, said his wife Kanchan Devi was in coma ever since she delivered a baby in 2000 at a private nursing home in Patna.

Later on, she was admitted to Patna Medical College And Hospital where doctors diagnosed her disease as "incurable" and she was taken back home.

Patna High Court had in January 2001 rejected Tarkeshwar's petition seeking permission for mercy killing observing that no order could be passed on such petition as she was "alive and had not herself filed a petition."

"Since President's rule has been imposed in Bihar, the Governor being the head of the State has the right to promulgate an ordinance for mercy killing and therefore, we have approached him," Tarkeshwar's lawyer Shruti Singh, who had also filed a petition in the High Court last week for reviewing its earlier order as she was still in coma, said.

Shruti Singh in the petition filed on behalf of Tarkeshwar and his son Suraj also cited the latest case of mercy killing of brain-dead Florida resident Terri Shiavo and sought amendments to the existing law.

He also pleaded that like the case of a husband or a wife who are free to tie a nuptial bond with any other person after one of them remains traceless for a period of seven years, a law be brought into force to allow mercy killing of a person in coma for over six years.

The case was likely to come up for hearing by Patna High Court within a week, Shruti Singh said, adding they also expected a favourable response from the governor.