After Years In Coma, Harish Rana Passes Away, Ending A Painful Chapter

Harish Rana, the first individual in India permitted passive euthanasia, passed away on Tuesday at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences after remaining in a coma for over 13 years.

The 31-year-old had been in a permanent vegetative state since 2013 following a severe head injury. He was transferred from his Ghaziabad residence to the palliative care unit at Dr BR Ambedkar Institute Rotary Cancer Hospital on March 14.

Doctors initiated withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment in compliance with judicial directives.

Earlier, on March 11, the Supreme Court of India authorised passive euthanasia under strict medical supervision.

A Bench comprising Justices JB Pardiwala and KV Viswanathan allowed the medical board to exercise clinical judgment, guided by the precedent set in Common Cause vs Union of India, which legalised passive euthanasia and recognised living wills.

The Court noted that Rana suffered from complete disability and quadriplegia, relying entirely on medical support for breathing and nutrition through tracheostomy and gastrostomy tubes.

Expert panels confirmed that his condition remained irreversible, with negligible prospects of recovery.

The case originated from a plea by his parents before the Delhi High Court, which initially denied relief, prompting an appeal to the apex court.

The Union government had earlier proposed home-based care support, but the family cited continued deterioration and sought judicial intervention again.

The ruling marked a significant development in India’s legal and ethical framework on end-of-life care, bringing closure to a prolonged medical and legal ordeal.

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