Right to die with dignity: SC allows passive euthanasia for 32-year-old man in coma for 13 years

Mangalore Today News Network

New Delhi, Mar 11, 2026: The Supreme Court on Wednesday allowed passive euthanasia for a 32-year-old man who has been in a permanent vegetative state for nearly 13 years, marking the first judicial implementation of its 2018 Common Cause judgment recognising the right to die with dignity.

A bench comprising Justices J.B. Pardiwala and K.V. Viswanathan passed the order on a plea filed by the family of Harish Rana, noting that his parents and siblings had exhausted every possible effort to care for him and had shown unwavering dedication over the years.

The court had reserved its verdict on January 15 after hearing the family’s request to withdraw life support for Harish, who has survived only on clinically administered nutrition (CAN) delivered through surgically installed PEG tubes.

Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati represented the Centre, while advocate Rashmi Nandakumar appeared for Harish’s family.

The bench noted that both the patient’s parents and the primary and secondary medical boards had concluded that the continuation of CAN was not in the patient’s best interest and recommended discontinuation.

According to the court, Harish was a bright young man whose life changed tragically after he fell from the fourth floor of his paying guest accommodation. The accident caused severe brain injury, leaving him in a persistent vegetative state with 100% quadriplegia. Medical reports indicated that his condition had not improved over the past 13 years.

In its judgment, the court observed that the applicant had lived a life marked by pain and suffering, unable even to express his anguish.

The bench also expressed deep appreciation for the family’s devotion. It noted that Harish’s parents and siblings had remained steadfast pillars of support, caring for him with extraordinary love and endurance despite immense hardship.

The court remarked that the greatest tragedy in life is not death but abandonment, and noted that Harish’s family had never left his side, ensuring he was cared for and protected at all times.

On January 13, the judges had personally met Harish’s parents and younger brother, who conveyed that they did not want him to continue suffering.

This was the second time the family approached the Supreme Court seeking passive euthanasia for Harish. In November 2025, the court had considered a Union Health Ministry report suggesting home care arrangements with assistance from the Uttar Pradesh government, including regular visits by doctors and a physiotherapist.