Aruna Shanbaug Dies After 42 Years In Coma, Rapist Sought For New Murder Charges

Aruna Shanbaug was only 25-years-old when she was anally raped and strangled with metal chains by a man named Sohanlal Bharta Walmiki. It is claimed the hospital ward boy raped her “because she had accused him of stealing the food of the dogs used in medical experiments and threatened to report him.” Even though Shanbaug spent 42 years in a coma, the rapist spent only seven years in prison for his crime.

In a related report by the Inquisitr, the rapist was not even charged for raping Aruna Shanbaug since sodomy was not considered rape under Indian laws at the time. Shockingly, he was merely charged for theft and attempted murder since he ran away with a stolen watch and earrings.

Now that Shanbaug has passed away, Mumbai Police are considering adding a murder charge to the case four decades after the fact. To this day, no one is certain if Sohanlal Bharta Walmiki is still alive, and no one has any ideas for how to find him. It is believed that the man moved to Delhi, changed his name, and went on to work in another hospital within Delhi.

Unfortunately, due to the age of the case, not a single photo exists of Aruna Shanbaug’s rapist.

“We have been able to maintain the documents that are at the most 20 years old, but as this case is more than 40 years old, we are not sure whether Shanbaug’s papers would be in the records,” said senior police inspector Sunil Tondwalkar, according to DNA.

Shanbaug’s case also triggered a debate over euthanasia in India, but the nurses at Mumbai’s KEM Hospital wanted to keep her alive. Despite being 42 years in a coma, the nurses ensured that Aruna never had a single bed sore during her entire stay.

Due to this dedication, the nurses are also calling for Aruna Shanbaug’s hospital room to be turn into a memorial.

“Yes, it is true that some nurses wish that there be a memorial for Aruna. For the time being, we have kept her photo in the room. However, no final decision has been taken on the ‘memorial’ idea,” KEM Dean Dr Avinash Supe told the First Post. “An alternative could be to name the room after Aruna and continue with patient care in the room. That way, we won’t be wasting a room where patients could be treated.”

Reports also claim that Aruna Shanbaug’s fiance played a part in why Sohanlal Bharta Walmiki was not charged with rape. It is said the then-junior doctor was afraid the rape charges would “tarnish her reputation.” Regardless of this history, the rapist received only seven years, while the victim served a life sentence.

[Image via Google Images]