Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi

New Delhi, Mar 25: In a landmark case, Harish Rana, the first person in India to receive legal approval for passive euthanasia, has passed away after remaining in a coma for 13 years.

Rana (31), who had been undergoing treatment at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), died days after the Supreme Court of India permitted withdrawal of life support in a historic ruling on March 11.

A former B.Tech student at Panjab University, Rana had been in a coma since 2013 after suffering severe head injuries in a fall from a fourth-floor balcony. Since then, he had been dependent on oxygen support.

He was shifted to AIIMS from his residence in Ghaziabad on March 14 following the court’s order. The case marked the first instance in the country where passive euthanasia was granted to an individual patient by judicial approval.

Passive euthanasia involves withdrawing or withholding life-sustaining medical support, allowing a patient with an irreversible condition to die naturally. Rana’s family had argued that the decision would relieve him from prolonged and incurable suffering.

The family had initially approached the Delhi High Court in 2024 seeking permission to withdraw life support, but the plea was rejected. They later moved the Supreme Court, which, after reviewing detailed medical reports, granted approval.

While delivering the judgment, a bench comprising Justices J B Pardiwala and K V Viswanathan also urged the Centre to consider framing a comprehensive law on passive euthanasia.

The case is being seen as a significant development in India’s legal and medical landscape, raising important questions about end-of-life care and patients’ rights.