The final rites of Harish Rana, the first individual in India to be legally granted passive euthanasia, were performed in the national capital following his death at All India Institute of Medical Sciences.
NEW DELHI: The final rites of Harish Rana, the first individual in India to be legally granted passive euthanasia, were performed in the national capital following his death at All India Institute of Medical Sciences.The family donated his corneas and heart valves, according to news agency ANI.
Rana, 31, had been under specialised medical care for an extended period and died on Tuesday, marking a significant moment in India’s legal and medical landscape.In an official statement, AIIMS confirmed that Rana died at 4.10 PM at the institute.“Harish Rana passed away at 4.10 PM on 24th March 2026 at AIIMS, New Delhi. He was under the care of a dedicated team of doctors and was admitted to the Palliative Oncology Unit (IRCH), led by Dr. (Prof.) Seema Mishra, HoD, Onco-Anaesthesia. AIIMS extends its heartfelt condolences to his family and loved ones during this difficult time,” the press release said.Earlier this month, in a landmark ruling, the Supreme Court of India permitted passive euthanasia for Rana, a Ghaziabad resident who had been in a persistent vegetative state for more than a decade.A bench of Justices JB Pardiwala and KV Vishwanathan allowed the withdrawal of clinically assisted nutrition and hydration (CANH). Rana had remained in a vegetative state since suffering an accidental fall from a building in 2013.Passive euthanasia refers to the withdrawal or withholding of life-sustaining treatment to allow a patient with no reasonable prospect of recovery to die naturally.Expressing profound sadness while delivering the judgment, the court noted that all stakeholders, including the patient’s family and medical boards assessing his condition, agreed that continuing aggressive medical support would serve no meaningful purpose.The bench also highlighted the absence of a comprehensive law on end-of-life care and urged the Union government to consider legislation in line with principles laid down in the Common Cause v. Union of India (2018) case.“The prolonged absence of comprehensive legislation on end-of-life care has compelled this Court, time and again, to step in to fill the vacuum,” the court said.It added that a dedicated law in this area would bring greater clarity and certainty to such emotionally complex issues.
