‘He is in a happy place now’: Harish Rana’s last rites conducted, family to donate his organs

“Don’t cry, he is in a happy place now,” said the parents of Harish Rana as they bid farewell to their son one last time on Wednesday (March 25, 2026).

Mr. Rana, who died on Tuesday after the withdrawal of clinically assisted nutrition and hydration (CANH) following a first-of-its-kind judgment by the Supreme Court, was cremated at the Green Park cremation ground in South Delhi on Wednesday morning. The 31-year-old had been in a vegetative state for 13 years following a fall from a fourth-floor balcony while he was a B.Tech student at Panjab University in 2013.

In a final act of generosity, Mr. Rana’s family consented to donate five of his organs. During the last rites, his mother bid an emotional farewell to her son with folded hands and met those present, while his father Ashok Rana urged mourners not to cry, a neighbour told sources over the phone.

Residents who attended the cremation described the atmosphere as deeply emotional. The sources noted that many attendees were moved to tears during the ceremony. However, Ashok Rana continued to console others and encouraged them to remain strong in their moment of grief.

“Let no one weep. I am praying that my son may depart in peace. Wherever he is born next, may he receive God’s blessings,” he said. Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Ajai Rai, who visited the cremation ground to pay his respects, said the family had confirmed the donation of five of Mr. Rana’s organs. “Harish might be gone, but he will continue to live on through the beneficiaries of his organ donation. The family has set an example before the entire nation,” Mr. Rai said over the phone.

Family members, along with representatives of the Brahma Kumaris, a spiritual movement led by women, attended the cremation to offer their prayers. Residents from the Raj Empire Society in Ghaziabad, where the Rana family lives, also came to show their support, joining a diverse group of NGOs, AIIMS staff, relatives, and friends.

The body was transported to the cremation ground in an ambulance, and the platform was covered in rose petals. Many mourners paid their last respects with folded hands, and some placed saffron garlands on the body before it was laid upon the pyre. Ashish Rana, Mr. Rana’s younger brother, lit the pyre, accompanied by his sister, Bhavna.

Sister Lovely of the Brahma Kumaris, who has been associated with the family and travelled to the cremation ground, said that meditative chants were performed during the last rites. “The body is leaving the mortal world, but the soul is immortal and has begun a new journey,” she said.

Additionally, Sister Lovely shared that a ‘bhog’ (offering) and prayer ritual will be held by the Brahma Kumaris in the coming days, where food items that Harish enjoyed will be prepared. “Harish could not eat for over a decade. Now the soul is free. In a symbolic gesture, we will offer the food that his body loved,” she said.

Earlier, neighbours and well-wishers spoke of the family’s unwavering commitment to caring for Mr. Rana despite the emotional and financial challenges they faced over the years. His parents described the decision to allow CANH as “extremely painful but necessary”. According to the sources, the family is scheduled to return to their Ghaziabad residence after completing the last rites and related rituals.

Mr. Rana was shifted to the palliative care unit at AIIMS-Delhi earlier this month from his Ghaziabad home following a landmark Supreme Court order permitting the withdrawal of life support for him. He passed away on Tuesday.

The apex court had granted withdrawal of artificial nutrition, such as the feeding tube, while continuing palliative care to allow a natural death with dignity. Medical boards had concluded that his condition was irreversible.