Story highlights A sexual assault victim in India who remained in a coma for 42 years has died

Passive euthanasia was legalized in the country as a result of a petition relating to her case

(CNN) A sexual assault victim in India who remained in a coma for 42 years has died, rekindling the debate on legalizing euthanasia in the country.

Aruna Shanbaug, 67, died at 8.30am local time, Dr Avinash Supe, dean at the King Edward Memorial hospital in Mumbai, confirmed to CNN.

Shanbaug, who used to work as a staff nurse at the hospital, "was suffering from pneumonia for the past week and later suffered a cardiac arrest," Dr. Supe said.

"She was put on a ventilator during that time. She was being fed with a tube and had been in a vegetative state for the past 42 years," he said.

Supe referred to Shanbaug as a victim of sexual assault in 1973.