ETHICAL CASE STUDY

Case Study 4

Alde, Aldemar S.

Solomon, Andrea Nicole S.

Soriano, Chris Howard M.

Tumaca, Denice Faye

Vidal, Jelene N.
 Ethics Case Study 4

Raghu and Ragini loved each other a lot. When everything seemed fine, Ragini was

forcefully married off to a wealthy guy by her parents and sent to a distant country

thanks to Raghu’s lower caste. Raghu was heartbroken and slipped into depression.

He swore that he would either marry Ragini or die of hunger. However, luckily for him,

he found a new friend in Rashmi. She was his classmate in his college days and had

loved him secretly, but never expressed it to him. Rashmi with her presence and

constant support made Raghu to forget the past. Raghu’s friends convinced him to

marry Rashmi. He married her. Though he didn’t love Rashmi, nevertheless he was

happy to get a companion and liked Rashmi very much.

Meanwhile, Ragini never loved her wealthy husband. Every day she was craving

for Raghu, with whom she was not in contact for many months now. Unfortunately her

both parents got killed in a road accident. She came back to India, but never returned to

her husband. Now Ragini was alone with no one around her for her support. She was

the only child of her parents. She inquired about Raghu. Came to know about his

whereabouts and present condition. Still she contacted him and both met secretly. She

narrated how she loved him all theses days and expressed her desire to get married to

him despite knowing he was already married. Though, Raghu was pushed into chronic

depression indirectly by Ragini, he never hated her. In fact he still had soft corner for

her. Now she had come for him leaving everything behind.

What should Raghu do now?

After Ragini left Raghu for a reason which eventually results him to agonize for a chronic depression, it

triggered him more when the day Ragini came back to see him. Now it has something to do with what

we called the "right and wrong" or what decision and behavior fits with the situation. For Raghu, the

moment he married Rashmi but he does not feel any love for her are already considered to be a wrong

decision but it just so happened that he just found a comfort with Rashmi. Having the same conditions

with Ragini wherein he married a wealthy guy just because her parents forced her to do so. Now that

Ragini is alone and free from his parents she grabbed the chance to go back to Raghu knowing that he is

already married but they still continue for seeing each other secretly. But for the truth and reality,

Raghu must do for what is right.

Ethics here are relevant to figured out and considered for your own morality wherein you have to

conduct in making a choice between the right and wrong, and what will be the consequences that you

will likely to predict and accepted. In relation to the situation of Raghu, he has to weigh the possible

circumstances of choosing between two things where he will likely to deal with for the rest of his life

without any regrets.

1. Facts of the case

 Personae
1. Patients

Raghu - A heartbroken man yet already married to a friend Rashmi. He has diagnosed of Chronic

Depression indirectly to Ragini, though he decided that he will have secretly meeting to Ragini.
 2. Relatives

Ragini - A former loved of Raghu who still craving for his love, who left his husband and back from

India, and secretly meeting him and says she wants to marry him despite that he is already married.

Rashmi - A college friend of Raghu that has a secret love to him and supported him to forget the past

and now are her married wife.

3. Health Care Provider

No information and identification of Health Care Provider given in the case.

The case is a foreign setting and it is happened in India.

1. Summary

Raghu and Ragini are in a relationship. Ragini’s parents forcefully married her in a wealthy guy and

then in the back of Ragini’s parent decision, Raghu became heartbroken and depressed. The time

has come he met a new friend and loved her secretly without expressing it. With the presence and

support of Rashmi it made him forget the past. He was convinced by his friends and marry Rashmi,

even he doesn’t love her he was happy and liked a companion with her. Ragini married to a wealthy

guy but she never loved her husband, she was always craving for Raghu’s love. After a few months,

Ragini’s parents died in an accident and she decide to comeback in India and never returned to her

husband. Ragini was the only child and now she was alone with no one around. Ragini inquire to

contact Raghu and know what is in his present condition. She has already a contact with Raghu and they

met secretly She narrate all her feelings in Raghu and her desire in marrying him. After pushing him

into Chronic Depression he has still a soft corner for Ragini.

1. Definition of terms

 Distant - far away in space or time.

1. Ethical Issue

The ethical issues or the problem in this case is when they both not fight for their relationship because

Ragini respect her parent’s decision than to fight for her love to Raghu. We all have a freedom to

choose for what we want but it also depends on our decision if what we choose is right. Ragini’s

decision is to respect her parent’s plan for her and it is only for the wealth but all of her love is for

Raghu. In the side of Raghu he decided and respect what Ragini chosen and wherein Raghu decided

to not to fight for her love for Ragini, but apparently it was like he was given no options, so

therefore, he married to someone because he felt there the happiness of companion and it is with
Rashmi.

But in the end, Ragini came back for him and where he still cares for Ragini and also have soft corner

for her despite of suffering with a Chronic Depression indirectly by Ragini, But after all, Raghu was

bothered in deciding of what he will preferably do and choose. If it is to be with Ragini or to be with

Rashmi, whether to choose for what he wants but is wrong or what he feels right but he does not desire.
1. Analysis

Option A: Accepting Ragini’s idea of marriage since she came back even after Raghu pushed into

chronic depression indirectly by Ragini

 Raghu make a self-determination decision and recognized as the concept of autonomy wherein he
make an independent choice of accepting Ragini which he had been waiting for so long
 Raghu will start a new life with Ragini
 Raghu will never be bothered to think the depression he suffered indirectly to Ragini because as
the concept of deontological ethics recognized that he might think he decided for his own good
and not yet thinking and considering whether it could be a right or wrong decisions and being with
Ragini again are the only way to overcome his depression and impossibly to cause any harm for
him.
 Raghu decision of accepting and choosing Ragini have an advantage and disadvantage of this
option because he knew who he really loved and where he is truly happy and for who he really
wants to have a life and marriage with, and it is Ragini, and since she came back they can start
again and have a new life together but while they are being happy secretly they are also causing
unhappiness and pain to their partners.

Option B: Refusing Ragini’s idea of marriage since she came back even after Raghu pushed into

chronic depression indirectly by Ragini

 Raghu will understand the idea of marriage of Ragini to the both of them but he will also
respectfully refuse for it because as the virtue ethics recognized he will honestly tell to her that he
is married and for what they are doing are apparently wrong.
 Raghu will refuse with the idea of it by telling also to Ragini that he is married and he has this
obligation to do what is right and he does not want to hurt Rashmi who was there for him to
support and forget the past where Ragini left her, so therefore, the concept of the deontological
ethics and the principle of non-maleficence are recognized to this decision and option.
 Raghu decision of refusing to choose Ragini have an advantage and disadvantage to this option
wherein Raghu will decide for what is right and because he does not want to hurt Rashmi who was
 there for him in his dark days and he knew that he is married and even Raghu might feel the guilt
and doubts of not choosing Ragini because knew who he really loved but he knows that it is not
their time anymore and they might ended up hurting each other especially both of them are
married.

1. Resolution

 After considering the different alternatives action, we have decided as a group to refuse Ragini’s
idea of marriage since she came back even after Raghu pushed into chronic depression indirectly
by Ragini.

1. Substantiation

 Once you are married, regardless of reasons and circumstances that comes to your relationship
there should be no room for cheating. Once you enter a situation, specifically marriage, each must
respect peoples’ dignity. In Philippines, the newly approved Anti-Cheating Law or Republic Act
412019 states “Parties involved in a monogamous relationship who are caught associating with
another person in a lewd and lascivious manner can be found guilty of cheating and therefore
subject to imprisonment of 30 days to two years.” Under the law, the length of jail time must be
served by offenders will depend on the gravity of their offense to their partners. Considering
Raghu was pushed into Chronic Depression indirectly by Ragini, he should consider seeking for
professional help because it is an important matter that can be solved by a therapy done by
professionals. Raghu should also consider ending his relationship with Rashmi before having a
connection with Ragini. Regardless if they were seeking for pleasure or happiness, there is one
person that might hurt by their actions. In virtue of ethics, having self-control is an important
attitude. Grasping onto reality that doing an impulsive decision because of pleasure could lead to a
problem associated with law and some punishment.

 Appendix

 There are laws in the Philippines that includes any form of unlawful cheating like Republic Act No.
412019 states that “Parties involved in a monogamous relationship who are caught associating with
another person in a lewd and lascivious manner can be found guilty of cheating and therefore
subject to imprisonment of 30 days to two years.”. Chronic depression is a long-term treatment and
 since it is chronic because of the duration, the treatment is more intensive and has severe episodes.
It has a dangerous effect on ones’ health and quality of life.

 References

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780444535016000019
https://www.wheninmanila.com/anti-cheating-law-ph/
https://www.health.harvard.edu/newsletter_article/managing-chronic-depression