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NEW DELHI: Harish Rana, the first person in India to be granted passive euthanasia, passed away on Tuesday at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences after remaining in a coma for over 13 years, sources said.
The 31-year-old had been in a vegetative state since 2013 after suffering severe head injuries from a fall while he was a BTech student at Panjab University. He had since been dependent on artificial nutrition and intermittent oxygen support.
Earlier this month, in a landmark ruling on March 11, the Supreme Court of India permitted passive euthanasia in his case—the first such instance in the country. Rana was subsequently admitted to the palliative care unit at Dr BR Ambedkar Institute Rotary Cancer Hospital, AIIMS-Delhi, on March 14.
Passive euthanasia involves allowing a patient to die by withdrawing or withholding life-sustaining treatment. Following the court’s directive, Rana’s artificial nutritional support was gradually withdrawn under strict medical supervision.
The apex court had instructed that the process be carried out with dignity through a carefully designed medical plan. A specialised team led by Dr Seema Mishra, Head of Anaesthesia and Palliative Medicine, was constituted, comprising experts from neurosurgery, onco-anaesthesia, and psychiatry.
The bench of Justices J B Pardiwala and K V Viswanathan, while delivering the judgment, also urged the Union government to consider enacting comprehensive legislation on passive euthanasia.
The court observed that medical boards had unanimously concluded that continued treatment was only prolonging biological existence with no possibility of recovery. It further ruled that once primary and secondary medical boards approve withdrawal of life support, judicial intervention is not required.
Rana is survived by his parents, Ashok and Nirmala Rana, who had supported the decision, stating it would restore their son’s dignity after years of irreversible suffering. The court also acknowledged the family’s unwavering care, noting, “His family never left his side.”
The judgment builds upon the court’s earlier rulings, including the 2018 Common Cause case, which recognized the right to die with dignity as a fundamental right under Article 21, and its 2023 modifications simplifying the process for passive euthanasia in terminal cases.(Agencies)
