Tarkeshwar Chandravanshi at the chief minister’s janata darbar in Patna on Monday. Picture by Deepak Kumar

Patna, May 9: Tarkeshwar Chandravanshi’s euthanasia plea in Patna High Court for his comatose wife Kanchan Devi was dismissed in 2001.

Kanchan, in a coma for nine years, passed away in 2007. Today, Chandravanshi came to chief minister Nitish Kumar’s janata darbar to demand Rs 50 lakh.

He claims he does not have a single penny left for him and his children.

Pleading to Nitish, Chandravanshi said: “Sir, my wife was in coma for nine years. I sold my properties and financial assets and spent all my money on her treatment but she was unable to open her eyes and did not show any signs of recovery. I realised death was better than such a life and filed a petition for mercy killing in the high court. But the court dismissed my petition. I had also appealed to then governor Buta Singh for mercy killing.”

“Now, after her death, I have nothing left. I own a betel shop and it has become difficult for me to survive. You are my only hope, I don’t have any idea on how I will feed my children,” added Chandravanshi.

Nitish replied: “How do you expect me to give you Rs 50 lakh? It is not a small amount and I wonder how could you ask for such a big amount. If you have a problem, it will be dealt with according to the system. This is not a way to demand. I think you need some medical assistance.”

An official in the chief minister’s secretariat said: “This is a very weird demand. There is no meaning behind such demands. If someone asks for Rs 5,000 to Rs 10,000, it can be given from the chief minister’s relief fund. But to demand Rs 50 lakh is unbelievable. He is the first man in the history of janata darbar to have demanded such a big amount. Earlier, a girl from Patna had demanded Rs 1.5 lakh for her admission.”

Asked the reason behind his demand, Chandravanshi said: “I have no money left with me. I don’t have a single penny now. What can I do? I thought if I demanded Rs 50 lakh from the chief minister, then he would at least give me something in return. Something is better than nothing. I know Rs 50 lakh is a big amount but I was hoping that Nitish Kumar would give it some thought. However, he didn’t even acknowledge my problem.”

Kanchan Devi slipped into coma after an unsuccessful pregnancy and her family members had alleged that doctors attending on her were responsible for her condition.