SC to rule on passive euthanasia plea of Ghaziabad man

NEW DELHI: In a significant judgment to be delivered on Wednesday, the Supreme Court will decide the fate of a Ghaziabad man who has been in a permanent vegetative state for nearly 13 years, as his family seeks permission to withdraw life-sustaining medical support and allow passive euthanasia.

A Bench of Justices J.B. Pardiwala and K.V. Viswanathan is scheduled to pronounce its verdict on March 11 in the plea concerning Harish Rana, who has been bedridden since 2013 after suffering severe head injuries in a fall from the fourth floor while he was a student.

Rana, now around 30-years-old, has been in a permanent vegetative state with 100 per cent disability and quadriplegia, requiring continuous medical assistance for breathing, feeding, and daily care.

Earlier in the proceedings, the apex court had directed the constitution of a Primary Medical Board to evaluate whether the life-sustaining treatment could be withdrawn, in line with the Supreme Court’s rulings governing passive euthanasia.