The Supreme Court today allowed passive euthanasia for a 32-year-old man who has been in a comatose condition for more than 12 years, by withdrawing his artificial life support.
Passive euthanasia is the intentional act of letting a patient die by withholding or withdrawing life support or the treatment necessary to keep him alive.
Harish Rana suffered head injuries after falling from the fourth floor of a building in 2013 and has been in a coma for over a decade.
A bench of Justices J B Pardiwala and K V Viswanathan directed AIIMS to grant admission in palliative care to Rana so that the medical treatment can be withdrawn. It must be ensured that it is withdrawn with a tailored plan so that dignity is maintained, the bench said.