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SC allows passive euthanasia for man in 13-year vegetative state
11 Mar 2026

The Supreme Court has allowed the withdrawal of life support for 32-year-old Harish Rana, who has been in a permanent vegetative state for 13 years.

A bench comprising Justice JB Pardiwala and Justice KV Viswanathan issued the order in response to his father's miscellaneous plea to remove all life-sustaining treatment from his son.

In 2013, Harish fell from the fourth floor of his PG accommodation and suffered severe head injuries, leaving him with 100% disability.

Recommendations from medical boards
Medical consensus

The court's decision was based on recommendations from primary and secondary medical boards.

These boards had recommended the withdrawal of Clinically Administered Nutrition (CAN), which was keeping Rana alive without any therapeutic improvement.

The court said that when both boards agree to withdraw life support, further judicial intervention isn't necessary.

His condition has shown no improvement
Court

"He experiences sleep-wake cycles but exhibits no meaningful interaction and has been dependent on others for all activities of self-care. Harish has been on CAN administered through a PEG tube, and his condition has shown no improvement," the bench noted.

As a result, it held that the medical board can exercise its discretion on withdrawing life support in accordance with the rules put down by the Supreme Court in its 2018 decision in Common Cause v/s Union of India.

Dignified withdrawal emphasized
Dignity in death

The court emphasized that the withdrawal of life support should be done in a dignified manner. It directed the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) to admit Rana to its palliative care center for this purpose.

The court also asked High Courts to direct Judicial Magistrates to receive intimation from medical boards about such decisions and suggested that Chief Medical Officers maintain panels of Registered Medical Practitioners for secondary medical boards.

Harish's parents first approached the Delhi High Court
Case

Harish, a resident of Delhi, was pursuing civil engineering at Chandigarh University when he met with an accident on August 20, 2013.

Since then, he has been in permanent vegetative state and is dependent on tubes for breathing and nutrition.

Harish's parents first approached the Delhi High Court in July 2024 seeking passive euthanasia. However, their plea was rejected.

In December 2025, after another plea from Harish's parents, the SC constituted primary and secondary medical boards to assess his condition.

2018 judgment
SC

In January, the SC reserved its order, saying, "These issues are delicate....We are also mortals. Who are we to decide who lives...dies? We'll consider withdrawing life-sustaining medical treatment."

In 2018, the SC recognized the right to die with dignity as a fundamental right and prescribed guidelines to help terminally ill persons assert that right.

In 2023, it amended the criteria to make the right to die with dignity more accessible. The current case is the first since its legalization.