NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Wednesday allowed the first ever passive euthanasia to end the life of a 32-year-old man in a vegetative state since 2013 after falling from a building.
A Bench of Justice JB Pardiwala and Justice KV Viswanatha passed the order on a petition filed by Ashok Rana seeking permission to end all life-sustaining treatment for his son Harish Rana.
The Bench — which had reserved its verdict on the issue on January 15 — passed the order for withdrawal of life support to Harish Rana in terms of its 2018 judgment in the Common Cause case (as modified in 2023) which recognised the fundamental right to die with dignity.
Two medical boards constituted by the court had already concluded that Harish Rana – the patient — had no chance for recovery.
“When primary and secondary boards have certified withdrawal of life support, there is no need for the Court’s intervention. However, since this was the first instance, the reference to the court was felt,” the Bench said, adding withdrawal of life support must be done in a dignified manner.
This is the first case of the top court’s directions in the Common Cause case being judicially applied to end the agony of a person in a vegetative state.
“AIIMS shall grant admission to the patient to its palliative care centre, so that the withdrawal of CAN (clinically administered nutrition) be given effect to. AIIMS shall give all facilities for shifting the applicant from residence to the palliative care centre. Ensure that his dignity his preserved,” the top court ordered.
It said, “High Courts must direct Judicial Magistrates to receive intimation from medical boards regarding decision to withdraw medical treatment. Union of India shall ensure that Chief Medical Officers in all districts maintain a panel of Registered Medical Practitioners for nomination to the secondary medical boards,” the top court said.
“It’s a very sad report. We cannot keep this boy in this stage,” the Bench had said on December 18 last year after perusing a report containing Harish Rana’s medical history filed by a secondary medical board of doctors from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) here.
Passive euthanasia is the intentional act of letting a patient die by withholding or withdrawing life support or the treatment necessary to keep him alive.
The primary medical board, after examining patient Harish Rana’s condition, had stressed the negligible chance of his recovery.
The Bench had on December 11 noted that according to the report of the primary medical board the man was in a pathetic condition.
“He was found to be lying on a bed with a tracheostomy tube for respiration and gastrostomy for feeding. The photographs attached with the letter would indicate that he has suffered huge bed sores. The team of doctors is of the opinion that the chance of his recovery from the present state is negligible. Harish appears to be in this vegetative condition for the past (almost) 13 years,” it had said.
The Supreme Court had in 2018 issued guidelines on passive euthanasia which was simplified in 2023.
According to the 2023 guidelines, a primary and a secondary medical board will have to be formed for an expert opinion on the withdrawal of artificial life support for a patient in a vegetative state.
After examining the findings of the primary board, the Bench had referred the case to a secondary board of doctors at AIIMS, New Delhi.
On November 26, 2025 the court asked the District Hospital, Noida to constitute a primary board to examine Harish Rana and submit a report in two weeks, saying his health condition had gone from bad to worse.
This was the second time that the petitioner had approached the top court seeking passive euthanasia for their son.
Taking note of the Union Health Ministry’s report suggesting that the patient be put in home care with assistance from the Uttar Pradesh Government and regular visits by doctors and a physiotherapist, the court had on November 8 last year said that if home care was not feasible, the patient should be shifted to the District Hospital, Noida, for ensuring the availability of proper medical care.