Justice Pardiwala tears up while delivering euthanasia verdict for Harish Rana

In an emotional moment inside the Supreme Court of India on Wednesday, Justice J. B. Pardiwala was visibly moved and briefly teared up while delivering a landmark judgment allowing passive euthanasia for Harish Rana, a 32-year-old man who has remained in a persistent vegetative state for 13 years.

A bench of Justices J. B. Pardiwala and K. V. Viswanathan permitted Rana’s parents to withdraw life-sustaining medical treatment, holding that the central question in such cases is not whether death is in a patient’s best interest, but whether continuing life-sustaining treatment serves the patient’s best interest.

The court’s order came in a case that has drawn national attention to the right to die with dignity. Rana suffered severe brain injuries after a fall 13 years ago and has since remained in a persistent vegetative state.

Reading out the judgment, Justice Pardiwala noted that Rana had once been “a bright young boy” pursuing his studies before the accident changed the course of his life. The judge became emotional during the proceedings while recounting the circumstances of the case.

The bench also clarified that clinically administered nutrition constitutes a form of medical treatment. It ruled that such treatment can be withdrawn if medical boards examining the patient conclude there is no meaningful prospect of recovery and recommend withdrawal of life support.

The ruling is expected to have significant implications for future cases involving passive euthanasia and the withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment in India.

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