3-yr-old terminally ill girl made to 'fast unto death' by parents in Indore

A 3-year-old girl in Indore, diagnosed with a terminal brain tumour, was administered the Jain ritual of 'Santhara' with family consent

A three-year-old girl from Madhya Pradesh’s Indore, diagnosed with a terminal brain tumour, was reportedly placed under 'Santhara', a Jain religious practice involving voluntary fasting unto death, NDTV reported.

 

The child, Viyana Jain, daughter of IT professionals Piyush and Varsha Jain, was diagnosed in December 2024 and underwent treatment, including surgery, in Mumbai. According to the family, her condition worsened despite medical intervention.

 

On March 21, 2025, during a visit to spiritual leader Rajesh Muni Maharaj in Indore, the family administered Santhara to the child. Her mother, Varsha Jain, said, “Gurudev inspired us and explained everything. With our consent, the ‘Santhara’ was done. It lasted about 30 minutes. Ten minutes later, Viyana died.”  The death reportedly happened so quickly because the three-year-old was already in very unwell.

 

Her father, Piyush Jain said, “We didn’t go with the intent of getting her ‘Santhara’ done, but Guruji said her condition was serious and suggested it. Everyone in the family agreed.”

 

The incident became public after Viyana was listed in the Golden Book of World Records as the youngest person to take the vow of Santhara.

 

Rajesh Muni Maharaj, under whose supervision the ritual was performed, said, “Viyana had religious understanding equivalent to that of a 50-year-old.” 

 

Legal and constitutional concerns

 

Legal experts, however, raised serious concerns. Supreme Court advocate Ritesh Agarwal told NDTV, “The decision of life and death of a minor is not even with the parents. This raises a serious legal and constitutional question: Can ‘Santhara’ be administered in the case of a minor who cannot legally or emotionally comprehend death?”

 

“Article 25 grants freedom of religion, but not above the law. Even religious practices cannot override a minor’s legal right to life,” he said.

 

In 2015, the Rajasthan High Court had declared Santhara illegal, equating it to suicide. However, the Supreme Court stayed that decision a month later. No legal precedent currently exists for administering ‘Santhara’ to minors.

 

Understanding Santhara in Jainism

 

An ancient and solemn rite in Jainism, Santhara involves the gradual renunciation of food and water as a means of embracing death with spiritual awareness and detachment. It is traditionally undertaken by terminally sick people or the elderly, and is seen within the faith as a path to liberation by acceptance and discipline at the end of life, rather than suicide.