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MP Child Rights Commission Reviews Parents' Role in 3-Year-Old's Santhara Death

The death of a terminally ill child following a Jain fasting ritual raises legal and ethical concerns over religious practices, child consent, and parental decisions.

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A three-year-old girl died after her parents initiated her into the Jain religious practice of fasting unto death
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Overview

  • Three-year-old Viyana Jain, diagnosed with a terminal brain tumor, died 40 minutes after her parents initiated the Jain Santhara ritual on March 21.
  • Santhara, a Jain practice of fasting unto death, is traditionally reserved for consenting adults but remains legally permissible under a 2015 Supreme Court stay.
  • The parents, following advice from their spiritual leader Rajesh Muni Maharaj, opted for Santhara to reduce their daughter's suffering and improve her next birth.
  • The MP Child Rights Commission is actively reviewing the case to determine whether charges should be filed against the parents for their role in the ritual.
  • The Golden Book of World Records recognized Viyana as the youngest person to vow Santhara, intensifying public scrutiny of the practice and its application to minors.