The bench said that Rana experienced comfort and respect in his final moments and added that his peaceful passing away from tubes and machines reflected autonomy and dignity in both life and death. (File Photo)The Supreme Court on Wednesday lauded the family of Harish Rana, the 32-year-old, whose artificial life support was withdrawn on March 24 with the court’s permission, for deciding to donate some of his organs.Taking on record his death certificate, a bench of Justices J B Pardiwala and K V Viswanathan said, “Even in the face of their own loss, his family chose generosity through the selfless decision to donate his corneas and heart valves. Through this act, his life continues in others. His legacy will live on in the lives of those he saved.”A resident of Ghaziabad, Rana suffered head injuries after falling from a fourth floor flat in Chandigarh in August 2013, where he was a student at the time and had been in a permanent vegetative state ever since. Hearing a plea by his family, the court in a historic first had on March 11 permitted withdrawal of his artificial life support.Advocate Rashmi Nandakumar, appearing for the family, produced Rana’s death certificate on Wednesday. Taking it on record, the bench directed that the same be preserved along with the case records for three years.Also Read | How the Supreme Court allowed passive euthanasia for Harish RanaJustice Pardiwala queried if there was any organ donation. Answering in the affirmative, the counsel pointed out that only the heart and corneas were medically viable and were donated.Appreciating this, the bench said that Rana experienced comfort and respect in his final moments and added that his peaceful passing away from tubes and machines reflected autonomy and dignity in both life and death. “This litigation has taught many things to one and all, including two of us as judges,” the bench said.The court said that the case serves as a reminder that medicine has its limits and that prolonging life in ways a person may not choose for themselves is not true care and that allowing him to pass, demonstrated the importance of respecting individual choice in end-of-life care. “Allowing someone to pass on their own terms and alleviating their suffering affirms their dignity and honours their ultimate control over their body and mind,” it added.Rana’s family initially moved the Delhi High Court in 2024. The HC, however, dismissed the plea in July 2024, saying that Rana was not terminally ill.Story continues below this adThe family then moved the apex court in 2024 but failed to get any relief. The SC, while dismissing the plea in August 2024, however, gave permission to approach it again if the need arose. The family moved the apex court again last year by filing a miscellaneous application. © The Indian Express Pvt LtdTags:Indian supreme court