SC Permits Passive Euthanasia for 32 Year Old Man in Coma for Over 12 Years
Top court permits withdrawal of life support for Ghaziabad resident Harish Rana under right to die with dignity framework
New Delhi, Mar 11: In a landmark decision, the Supreme Court on Wednesday allowed passive euthanasia for a 32 year old man who has remained in a comatose state for more than 12 years, permitting the withdrawal of artificial life support under strict medical supervision.
A bench of Justices J B Pardiwala and K V Viswanathan directed the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, to admit Ghaziabad resident Harish Rana into palliative care so that the process of withdrawing medical support can be carried out in a planned and dignified manner.
Rana, a former student of Panjab University, suffered severe head injuries in 2013 after falling from the fourth floor of his paying guest accommodation. Since then, he has remained in a vegetative state with little hope of recovery.
The court said the withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment must be implemented through a carefully designed medical plan to ensure dignity and humane care during the process.
The order was issued in line with the Supreme Court’s 2018 Common Cause judgment, which recognised passive euthanasia and the right to die with dignity as part of the fundamental right to life under Article 21 of the Constitution.
The 2018 ruling had allowed passive euthanasia through “Advance Medical Directives” or living wills, enabling patients to decide in advance whether life-sustaining treatment should be continued in cases of irreversible illness.
Later, in January 2023, a five judge Constitution Bench modified the guidelines to simplify the procedure for approving passive euthanasia for patients in terminal or irreversible medical conditions.
During the proceedings, the court reviewed reports submitted by medical boards that examined Rana’s health condition. Doctors from AIIMS who formed the secondary medical board stated that the chances of his recovery were negligible.
The primary medical board had earlier described his medical state as extremely critical, noting that he remained fully dependent on artificial support for survival.
According to the guidelines laid down by the apex court in 2023, decisions regarding withdrawal of life support for patients in a permanent vegetative state require the assessment of both a primary and a secondary medical board before approval can be granted.
