A Communist Party of India member of Parliament on Thursday made a strong case for legalising mercy killings.

Referring to 25-year old former chess champion, K Venkatesh, who suffers from muscular dystrophy, S Sudhakar Reddy said the government must come forward with a comprehensive Euthanasia Act.

Euthanasia�is the act or practice of ending the life of an individual suffering from a terminal illness or an incurable condition.

Venkatesh and his mother K Sujatha's plea that the former's organs be allowed to be harvested has been rejected by the Andhra Pradesh high court.
�
The court ruled that the Transplantation of Human Organs Act, 1995, has no provision to allow individuals to donate organs before they are brain-dead.