Jaipur: The Rajasthan High Court has banned Jain ritual ‘Santhara’ on Monday, making it punishable under IPC Section 306 (Abetment of Suicide).
The division bench, headed by Chief Justice Sunil Ambwani, agreeing with the petitioner said that case should be registered against the person who tries to commit ‘Santhara’.
The ancient ritual, also called ‘Sallekhana’, is a voluntary starvation to embrace death.
According to the Jains, this is a sure-fire way to purge oneself of bad karma and achieve ‘Moksha’ — liberation from the worldly cycle of death and reincarnation.
Though the community contended that it is not an act of suicide, the court banned the ritual as it found merit in the argument put forward by human rights activist Nikhil Soni, who claimed that the ritual is a social evil.
