Harish Rana Case: Supreme Court allows first passive euthanasia in landmark judgment

 

           

        

The Supreme Court of India, on 11^th March, 2026, delivered a landmark judgment by allowing first passive euthanasia and permission to withdraw life support system for 32 years old boy, Harish Rana, the Applicant in the instant case. The Applicant, Harish had been in a permanent vegetative state for the last 12 years following the tragic and life-altering accident.

                    The Applicant, then 20 years old, was pursuing B.Tech degree at Punjab University and was residing in a paying guest accommodation from where he fell from the fourth floor and as a result he sustained a diffuse axonal injury. Ever since the incident, he has been in a vegetative state requiring constant care and nursing from the family’s end. The family of the applicant, noted no significant benefit from any several treatments, that were tried over the span of the last 13 years.

          Therefore, present application was filed before the Supreme Court of India in furtherance of the applicant’s dignity and best interest.

          In the present case, the parents of Applicant, Harish Rana prayed for assessement of continuation of Clinically Assisted Nutrition and Hydration (CANH) in accordance with the ruling of the five-Judge Constitution Bench of Supreme Court in Common Cause vs Union of India reported in 2018 (referred common Cause 2018) which laid down guidelines regarding withdrawal and withholding of medical treatment where no Advance Medical Directives exist and later modified in 2023 which then referred as Common Cause Guidelines.

In light of the unanimous consensus arrived at by the parents/next of kin and the constituted medical boards respectively, we are of the opinion that the medical treatment ought not to be prolonged any further and that it will not be in Harish’s best interest to continue with the treatment and artificially prolong his life – Court said.

 

Lastly, the Hon’ble Court disposed off the application with the following directions:

a)       The medical treatment, including CANH being administered to the applicant shall be withdrawn.

b)      AIIMS shall grant admission to the applicant in its Palliative Care deparment so that the withdrawl of applicant’s medical treatment can be given effect to and for this purpose AIIMS shall provide all necessary facilities for shifting from his residence to the Palliative Care department.

c)       AIIMS shall ensure that such withdrawal is carried out with dignity to the highest degree.

d)      The High Courts of all States shall issue appropriate directions to all Judicial Magistrate of First Class within their jurisdiction to receive intimation from the hospital in accordance with the guidelines as laid down in Common Cause, in the event the primary medical board and secondary medical moard are unanimous in their decision to withdraw or withhold the medical treatment of any patient.

e)       Union of India in coordination with the respective Secretaries of Health & Family Welfare of all States/UTs shall ensure that CMOs of all concerned districts across the country prepare and maintain a panel consisting of registered medical practitioners possessing qualifications in accordance with the guidelines as laid down in Common Cause for the purpose of nomination to secondary medical board.

 

Case: Harish Rana vs Union of India & Ors  (MISCELLANEOUS APPLICATION NO. 2238 OF 2025

Coram: Justice J.B. Pardiwala and Justice K.V. Viswanathan

Date of Judgment: 11 March 2026

Also Read: Right of the prisoners in accordance with the constitutional mandate of equality, non discrimination and right to live with dignity