Rare Emotional Moment in Court During Harish Rana Euthanasia Verdict!

An emotional moment unfolded in the Supreme Court of India while delivering the verdict in the mercy killing (passive euthanasia) case of Harish Rana. Justice JB Pardiwala became visibly emotional while reading the judgment and was moved to tears while describing the tragic circumstances of the case. He remarked that Rana had been a bright young man before the accident that completely changed the course of his life. As the judge struggled to continue reading the order, the entire courtroom turned deeply emotional witnessing the rare and poignant moment.

In a landmark ruling, the Supreme Court permitted passive euthanasia for Harish Rana, who has been in a coma for nearly 13 years. The bench comprising Justice JB Pardiwala and Justice KV Viswanathan allowed the withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment under the 2018 Common Cause framework, noting that there had been no medical improvement in his condition for over a decade. Harish Rana, a resident of Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh, suffered severe head injuries after accidentally falling from the fourth-floor balcony of his hostel while studying engineering at Chandigarh University on August 20, 2013. After years of medical treatment without recovery, his parents approached the courts seeking permission for mercy killing. While the Delhi High Court had earlier declined the request, the Supreme Court on March 11, 2026 finally granted permission after considering medical reports and the emotional plea of his parents.