SC lauds Harish Rana family for organ donation; timeline from CANH withdrawal ruling to death

The Supreme Court, on May 13, 2026, expressed appreciation for Rana’s family for their 'selfless' decision to donate his corneas and heart valves, stating the gesture would keep his legacy alive by saving others. The Bench noted the March 11 judgment and directed filing of a compliance affidavit, with the matter posted for hearing in July.

Rana died at 4.10 p.m. on March 24 at the palliative care unit of the Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Institute Rotary Cancer Hospital at AIIMS, Delhi.

In a first-of-its-kind judgment, the Supreme Court held that withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment to avoid artificial prolongation of the dying process would uphold a patient’s dignity and bodily integrity. The court directed AIIMS, Delhi to shift Rana from his residence in Ghaziabad to its palliative care centre and urged Chief Medical Officers in all districts to constitute panels of registered medical practitioners to serve as secondary medical boards for reviewing applications seeking withdrawal of life support, while also urging the Centre to consider enacting legislation governing withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment.

Rana sustained severe head injuries and 100% quadriplegic disability after falling from the fourth floor of his paying guest accommodation while he was a student at Panjab University in 2013.