New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday delivered a landmark ruling allowing passive euthanasia for a 31-year-old man who has been in a coma for the past 13 years.
A bench of Justice J. B. Pardiwala and Justice K. V. Viswanathan granted permission for the withdrawal of life support for Harish Rana, a resident of Ghaziabad who has been dependent on medical support systems for more than a decade.
The court directed All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) to remove Rana’s life-support system in a phased and medically supervised manner, ensuring that the process preserves the patient’s dignity.
The ruling came after Rana’s parents, Nirmala Rana and Ashok Rana, approached the court seeking permission for passive euthanasia.
Passive euthanasia refers to the withdrawal or withholding of medical treatment or life-support systems that keep a critically ill patient alive, allowing death to occur naturally.
The court said the procedure must be carried out carefully and ethically, ensuring that the patient’s dignity is maintained throughout the process. The case is being seen as one of the first instances in India where the apex court has permitted passive euthanasia under such circumstances.
