WASHINGTON: The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed a PIL that sought a CBI probe into the deaths of several children in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, allegedly caused by consuming contaminated cough syrup.
A bench led by Chief Justice of India B.R. Gavai declined to entertain the plea after a brief hearing.
The petition, filed by advocate Vishal Tiwari, urged the court to direct a CBI investigation and the formation of a judicial commission to examine regulatory failures that led to the circulation of toxic cough syrups.
Tiwari argued that the deaths reflected a recurring pattern of negligence and lack of regulation in India’s pharmaceutical sector. “This is not the first instance of adulterated medicines killing children. States are blaming each other, so a probe by one central agency is necessary,” he submitted.
He also alleged that no proper laboratory testing or clinical trials were conducted before the sale of the cough syrup, identified as Coldrif, reportedly manufactured by Tamil Nadu-based M/s Sresan Pharma Pvt. Ltd.
During the hearing, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta informed the bench that the concerned state governments including Tamil Nadu and Madhya Pradesh were already taking appropriate steps in the matter. “We cannot trust the states. Of course, they will take steps,” Mehta remarked in response to Tiwari’s repeated insistence for a CBI probe.
The CJI then questioned the petitioner about the number of PILs he had filed so far. When Tiwari replied that he had filed 8 to 10 PILs, the bench decided to dismiss his plea, observing that existing mechanisms were adequate to handle the issue.
The petition had sought the appointment of a National Judicial Commission or Expert Committee headed by a retired Supreme Court judge to monitor a nationwide inquiry into the manufacture, testing, and distribution of cough syrups containing Diethylene Glycol and Ethylene Glycol toxic chemicals previously linked to child fatalities in India and abroad.
