First in India- Supreme Court allows passive euthanasia for man who has been in coma for 13 years

In a significant ruling, the Supreme Court has approved passive euthanasia for 32-year-old Harish Rana, who has been in a coma for 13 years due to serious brain injuries from a fall. This decision is the first in India allowing the removal of life-supporting medical treatment in such a case. Justices JB Pardiwala and KV Viswanathan, who delivered the verdict, noted the emotional weight of the situation and stressed the importance of maintaining dignity and compassion in medical care for patients with irreversible conditions. Harish Rana has been in a vegetative state since a tragic accident caused severe brain damage. Medical professionals have repeatedly stated that his condition is irreversible and he cannot recover. For many years, Rana’s life was maintained through feeding tubes in a hospital. After seeing no improvement and recognizing the ongoing suffering, his parents sought legal permission to stop his medical treatment so he could pass away peacefully. The Supreme Court's bench granted this request, allowing for the withdrawal of medical support in the hospital, thus enabling Rana to die with dignity. This ruling also builds on the Supreme Court's 2018 decision, which acknowledged passive euthanasia and the "right to die with dignity" under specific circumstances.