The religious tradition of Jains that allows oneself to starve to death, also called Santhara has been permitted by the Supreme Court.

Last month, the Rajasthan High Court had said that the voluntary custom of ‘Santhara’ was a form of suicide and therefore illegal. Thousands of Jains held demonstration in the state carrying banners that read ‘Suicide is Crime, Santhara is religion.’

The High Court verdict was based on a petition by an activist Nikhil Soni filed in 2006 who argued that the practice was against the law. He questioned whether elderly Jains were being encouraged to take the vow to free families of the burden of taking care of them, an argument Jains deny.