Dhaka, March 11 -- In a landmark verdict, India's Supreme Court has allowed passive euthanasia -- withdrawal of artificial life support -- for a 32-year-old Chandigarh man in coma for 13 years.

On Wednesday, the Supreme Court division bench of Justice JB Pardiwala and Justice KV Viswanathan passed the order following a plea by the family of Harish Rana, reports The Telegraph.

According to his family, Rana has not been responding to treatment since 2013 after the undergraduate student fell from the fourth floor of a building.

"He experiences sleep-wake cycles -- but exhibits no meaningful interaction and has been dependent on others for all activities of self-care," the bench observed.

Harish has been on clinically assisted nutrition a...