India, March 11 -- The Supreme Court of India on Wednesday pronounced a historic verdict as it allowed passive euthanasia for a 31-year-old man who has been comatose for over a decade now.

Thirty one-year-old Harish Rana has been in a complete vegetative state since 2013 after he fell from the fourth floor of a building and suffered grave head injuries. He has been bed-ridden and on artificial life support.

The top court directed All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Delhi to ensure that life support is withdrawn with a tailored plan in order to maintain dignity.

"The withdrawal has to be carried out in a humane and sensitive manner. It cannot be an abandonment of a patient, but it has to be done in a structured manner that m...