'Forgive everyone... It's time to go': Harish Rana's family bids him emotional farewell after Supreme Court's passive euthanasia order

In a 20-second video clip, 32-year-old Harish Rana, who has been in a permanent vegetative state for 13 years, is seen surrounded by his emotional family members at his Ghaziabad home before the procedure to establish medical protocols for passive euthanasia at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi.

A woman is seen saying, "Forgive everyone. Apologise to everyone. It's time to go now, okay."

The Supreme Court allowed passive euthanasia for the 32-year-old who has remained in a permanent vegetative state for 13 years, in a first such order, on a plea by his family members, after noting they have exhausted every effort to care for him and continued to do so with unwavering dedication.

Passive euthanasia is the intentional act of letting a patient die by withholding or withdrawing life support or the treatment necessary to keep him alive.

The family argued that continuing his treatment would only prolong his life artificially as the current feeding system just supports his biological survival with no possibility of recovering from the severe head injuries he suffered during his college days, after a fall from the fourth floor of his paying guest accommodation in 2013.

The court emphasised the right to die with dignity is inseparable from the right to receive quality palliative and end of life care.

According to reports, Rana will remain under a team of palliative care specialists and other doctors who will follow established medical and legal protocols for passive euthanasia.