Delhi High Court allows 17-year-old Pratik Shaw to donate liver to his father

On Monday, June 29, 2026, the Delhi High Court permitted a 17-year-old minor, Pratik Shaw, to donate a part of his liver to his critically ill father, Uttam Kumar Shaw, in Delhi. Justice Mini Pushkarna issued the order, allowing the life-saving transplant to proceed as an exceptional case.

The recipient, Uttam Kumar Shaw, is currently undergoing treatment for chronic liver disease at a hospital in Delhi. According to the court's order, a liver transplant is the only viable, life-saving treatment option available to him.

The donor, Pratik Shaw, was born on September 13, 2008. The court noted that the 17-year-old had voluntarily expressed his willingness to donate a part of his liver to save his father's life.

Under the Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Rules (THO Rules), 2014, living organ donation by minors is strictly prohibited. However, the regulations allow for exceptions under critical medical circumstances, provided there is prior approval from the appropriate authority and the State government.

During the hearing, the Delhi government informed the High Court that the Delhi Lieutenant-Governor and the competent authority had already granted the necessary approvals for the liver donation.

With these administrative approvals in place, Justice Pushkarna cleared the transplant to proceed. The court's decision serves as an exceptional bypass to the general legal prohibition on living organ donation by minors, allowing the family to move forward with the life-saving medical procedure.