When Harish Rana left his Delhi home as a young boy to study in Chandigarh, he would have nursed ambitions like any other boy of his age.
Fate was cruel – a fall from a fourth-floor balcony ended it all in 2013.
His head injuries left him with 100 per cent disability.
For 13 years now, Harish has remained in a permanent vegetative state. He survives only on tubes for breathing and nutrition.
His parents have cared for him through the years. Their plea has now reached the Supreme Court.
According to a report, the Supreme Court said it would consider allowing the withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment for a 32-year-old man who has been in a vegetative state for 13 years.
The court reserved its order on a passive euthanasia plea filed by his parents. The case raises questions around dignity, consent and end-of-life care under existing legal guidelines.
“These issues are delicate. We are also mortals. Who are we to decide who lives or dies? We will consider withdrawing life-sustaining medical treatment,” the Supreme Court was quoted as saying.
A bench of Justices JB Pardiwala and KV Viswanathan described the matter as sensitive after meeting Harish Rana’s parents before the hearing. The judges said such questions were delicate and reminded that courts were made up of mortals who could not easily decide matters of life and death. They said the option of withdrawing life-sustaining medical treatment would be examined.
The courtroom heard heavy facts. The amicus curiae said the case was about accelerating natural death. Medical board reports showed almost no chance of recovery. Continuing treatment, she said, violated the right to live with dignity. The parents sat through years of waiting.
The amicus explained that passive euthanasia would involve shifting Harish to palliative care. Feeding tubes would be removed. No medical intervention would follow. Sedatives would be given to ensure he did not feel pain. Comfort until death would be the only focus.
Passive euthanasia is legal in India, unlike active euthanasia. The Supreme Court first recognised it in 2011 in the Aruna Shanbaug case. Shanbaug, a nurse at Mumbai’s KEM Hospital, had been assaulted in 1973 and remained in a vegetative state for over four decades. Though euthanasia was permitted, she later died of pneumonia in 2015. In 2018, the court formally legalised passive euthanasia and laid down guidelines.
Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati, appearing for the Centre, supported the plea. She said this would be the first case where the court’s guidelines would be implemented in practice. She stressed that death should occur due to the underlying medical condition. She said omission of treatment should not become the direct cause of death.
The Centre pointed to the parents’ struggle. The ASG said the legal fight had been exhausting. She urged the court to also consider the views of caregivers. Harish, she said, had been reduced to skin and bones.
Also Read: Gujarat HC Sets Record; Chorus Of 600 Petitioners Demand Euthanasia https://www.vibesofindia.com/gujarat-hc-sets-record-chorus-of-600-petitioners-demand-euthanasia/
