In a first, India's Supreme Court allows withdrawal of life support to man in coma for over 12 years
Passive euthanasia is the intentional act of letting a patient die by withholding or withdrawing life support or the treatment necessary to keep them alive.
In India's first-ever judicial order allowing passive euthanasia, India's Supreme Court today (11 March) permitted the withdrawal of artificial life support of a 32-year-old man who has been in a comatose condition for more than 12 years after falling from the fourth floor of a building.
Passive euthanasia is the intentional act of letting a patient die by withholding or withdrawing life support or the treatment necessary to keep them alive.
Harish Rana, who was a student of Panjab University, suffered head injuries after falling from the fourth floor of his paying guest accommodation in 2013 and has been in a coma for over a decade.
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Today, a bench of Justice JB Pardiwala and Justice KV Viswanathan directed AIIMS-Delhi to grant admission in palliative care to Rana so that the medical treatment can be withdrawn.
It must be ensured that it is withdrawn with a tailored plan so that dignity is maintained, the bench said.
The order allowing passive euthanasia is in terms of its 2018 Common Cause judgment, which was modified in 2023, recognising the fundamental right to die with dignity.
In the 2018 judgement, a constitution bench of the top court recognised passive euthanasia and the right to die with dignity as a fundamental right under Article 21. The court held that passive euthanasia could be carried out using "Advance Medical Directives."
On 24 January 2023, a five-judge constitution bench modified the 2018 euthanasia guidelines to ease the process of granting passive euthanasia to terminally ill patients.
