India, March 26 -- While euthanasia must remain tightly regulated, denying dignity in death to those trapped in irreversible suffering is becoming harder to justify, writes Sujoy Dhar as the Harish Rana case sets a significant precedent.

For 13 years, Harish Rana existed in a space between life and death.

The young man, who slipped into a vegetative state after a head injury in 2013, was kept alive by artificial nutrition and intermittent medical support-his body sustained, his consciousness absent. Last week, at a Delhi hospital, that long limbo ended. Acting on a Supreme Court order, doctors withdrew life support through a carefully monitored process. Rana died soon after.

According to the Supreme Court Observer, a legal journalism p...