Harish Rana's Parents' Final Moments With Their Son | Video

New Delhi: In a deeply emotional moment, the parents of 32-year-old Harish Rana bid farewell to their son as doctors began the process of withdrawing life support following a landmark order from the top court permitting passive euthanasia.

Rana had been in a permanent vegetative state for nearly 13 years after suffering severe injuries in a fall during his college years. Acting on medical assessments which confirmed that recovery was impossible, the court allowed doctors to discontinue life-sustaining treatment.

Videos circulating online showed Rana’s parents and relatives gathered around him, offering prayers and sharing their final goodbye after more than a decade spent caring for him in a condition that never improved. Shortly before life support was to be withdrawn, the clip showed Rana being moved on a stretcher from his home in Ghaziabad for transfer to AIIMS Delhi.

How the Court Allowed a ‘Dignified Death’

The Supreme Court granted permission for passive euthanasia, a process that allows doctors to withdraw medical treatment that artificially prolongs life when recovery is medically impossible.

In Rana’s case, the court authorised doctors at AIIMS Delhi to discontinue life-support measures, including clinically assisted nutrition and hydration that had sustained him for years.

The court also directed the hospital to move him to its palliative care unit and ensure that the withdrawal of support was conducted in a humane and respectful manner. 

Who Was Harish Rana?

Harish Rana was known as a promising engineering student. He had joined Chandigarh University through lateral entry and had entered directly into the second year of his engineering program. According to friends and teachers, he was academically strong, frequently ranking among the top performers in his class. His family had hoped he would complete his studies and build a successful career in engineering.

Those aspirations ended abruptly following a tragic incident in 2013.

What Happened in the 2013 Accident?

The accident took place in August 2013 while Rana was studying in Chandigarh. His family said he had spoken to his sister on the phone on the evening of Raksha Bandhan. Roughly an hour later, they received news that he had fallen from the fourth floor of a building. The fall caused severe head trauma and extensive spinal injuries. He was initially treated at Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research in Chandigarh before being moved to AIIMS, Delhi for further treatment.

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