Supreme Court to Decide on Passive Euthanasia Plea of Man in Coma for 13 Years

The Supreme Court is set to deliver its verdict today on a plea seeking passive euthanasia for Harish Rana, a 32-year-old man who has been in a permanent vegetative state for the past 13 years following a severe head injury.

Harish sustained critical injuries in August 2013 after falling from the fourth-floor balcony of his accommodation in Chandigarh while pursuing civil engineering. Since then, he has remained completely dependent on medical support, including feeding and breathing tubes, with doctors declaring negligible chances of recovery.

His parents, citing prolonged suffering, financial distress, and lack of medical improvement, approached the Supreme Court in December 2025 for the second time, seeking permission to withdraw life support and allow their son to die with dignity.

If approved, this would become India’s first court-authorised case of passive euthanasia since the practice was legally recognised by the Supreme Court in 2018 under the Common Cause vs Union of India judgment.

Earlier pleas before the Delhi High Court and the Supreme Court were rejected on the grounds that Harish was not entirely dependent on mechanical life-support systems. However, fresh medical evaluations ordered by the apex court, conducted by both primary and secondary medical boards, concluded that Harish’s condition is irreversible with no realistic hope of recovery.

During hearings, the bench observed the severity of the situation, describing the medical reports as “very sad,” and noted that keeping Harish alive in such a condition raises serious ethical and constitutional questions.

The verdict is expected to have far-reaching implications on the interpretation of the right to die with dignity and the implementation of passive euthanasia laws in India.