SC Permits Passive Euthanasia For Ghaziabad Man Bedridden For 13 Years

The Supreme Court of India on Wednesday allowed passive euthanasia for a 31-year-old resident of Ghaziabad who has remained in a permanent vegetative state for nearly 13 years following a severe fall while he was a student.

A Bench comprising Justices JB Pardiwala and KV Viswanathan permitted the withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment for Harish Rana.

The court observed that the medical board could exercise its clinical judgment regarding the withdrawal of treatment in accordance with the guidelines laid down in the landmark 2018 judgment in Common Cause Vs Union of India.

“In our considered view, it would be permissible for the medical Board to exercise its clinical judgment regarding the withdrawal of treatment in accordance with the guidelines laid down in Common Cause Vs Union of India,” the apex court said.

Allowing the plea filed by Rana’s family, the Bench directed that he be admitted to the palliative care unit at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi, where the process of withdrawing medical treatment can be carried out.

Rana has been in a permanent vegetative state with 100 per cent disability and quadriplegia, requiring continuous medical support for breathing, feeding and daily care.

Earlier, the Supreme Court directed a Primary Medical Board to examine whether doctors should withdraw life-sustaining treatment.

Medical experts who assessed Rana at his residence reported that he was lying in bed with a tracheostomy tube for respiration and a gastrostomy tube for feeding, noting that the chances of recovery were negligible.

The court later instructed AIIMS to constitute a Secondary Medical Board to independently evaluate his medical condition.

Case Background

The case began with a petition filed by Rana’s parents before the Delhi High Court seeking the formation of a medical board to examine the possibility of passive euthanasia.

The High Court dismissed the plea, stating that active euthanasia is impermissible under Indian law.

When the case reached the Supreme Court in August 2024, the court issued notice to the Union government and explored possible humanitarian solutions, noting the difficulties faced by the parents in caring for their son for more than a decade.

In November 2024, the apex court disposed of the matter after recording the government’s proposal to provide home-based medical assistance, including physiotherapy visits, nursing care, dietician support and free medicines.

However, the court allowed the family to approach it again if they required further directions. The parents later returned to the court, stating that Rana’s condition had deteriorated with no improvement despite years of treatment.

After hearing the parties and reviewing written submissions, the Bench led by Justice Pardiwala reserved its verdict on January 15 this year.

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