Harish Rana, the first person in India to be granted passive euthanasia by a court, died at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Delhi on Tuesday, bringing an end to a case that marked a significant moment in the country’s legal and medical history.
The 31-year-old had been in a vegetative state since 2013 after suffering severe head injuries in a fall from a fourth-floor balcony while he was a BTech student at Panjab University. For over a decade, he survived on artificial nutrition and intermittent oxygen support.
On March 11, the Supreme Court of India allowed passive euthanasia in Rana’s case, directing doctors to withdraw life support through a carefully planned process that ensured dignity.
MEDICAL PROTOCOL AT AIIMS
Rana was shifted from his Ghaziabad home to the palliative care unit at AIIMS’ Dr BR Ambedkar Institute Rotary Cancer Hospital on March 14. A multidisciplinary team led by Dr Seema Mishra, head of anaesthesia and palliative medicine, was tasked with implementing the process — considered the first of its kind in India.
The team included specialists from neurosurgery, onco-anaesthesia, palliative medicine and psychiatry, reflecting the complexity and sensitivity of the procedure.
GRADUAL WITHDRAWAL OF SUPPORT
Following established medical protocols, Rana’s artificial nutritional support was gradually withdrawn under close supervision, in line with the Supreme Court’s directive.
His case is being seen as a milestone in India’s evolving approach to end-of-life care, with a focus on dignity, medical ethics and legal safeguards.
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