Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The Supreme Court on Thursday agreed to hold an urgent hearing within 24 hours on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking an independent probe into deaths of children caused by poisonous cough syrup in Madhya Pradesh.
The petition, listed before a bench headed by Chief Justice B R Gavai, seeks a court-monitored investigation into the incident and formation of a National Judicial Commission or an expert committee headed by a retired Supreme Court judge to ensure impartiality and accountability.
It also seeks transfer of all FIRs and ongoing investigations related to similar child deaths from toxic syrups across various states to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to ensure a uniform and fair probe.
The plea argues that fragmented state-level inquiries often result in inconsistent findings and allow dangerous formulations to remain in circulation.
The petition also calls for Centre to identify lapses in regulatory system that allowed substandard medicines to reach the market. It urges mandatory toxicological testing of all suspect pharmaceutical products through NABL-accredited laboratories before further sale or export.
Supreme Court advocate Vishal Tiwari, who filed the PIL, told Free Press that the matter has been listed for hearing on October 10. I have sought transfer of all FIRs related to children s deaths to the CBI for a comprehensive and impartial investigation, he said.
[Story by Staff Reporter]
