The Supreme Court agreed to hear on Friday a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) demanding a CBI probe and sweeping reforms in India’s drug safety framework, following the recent deaths of children in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan allegedly due to toxic cough syrups.
A bench led by Chief Justice B R Gavai, along with Justices Ujjal Bhuyan and K Vinod Chandran, took note of the urgency flagged by petitioner and scheduled the matter for hearing on October 10.
Filed by advocate Vishal Tiwari, the plea seeks a court-monitored investigation and the formation of a National Judicial Commission or Expert Committee led by a retired Supreme Court judge to ensure accountability.
The petition calls for all related FIRs and state-level probes to be handed over to the CBI, citing fragmented investigations and regulatory lapses that have allowed unsafe medicines to reach consumers.
Amid growing concern over the deaths, the PIL urges the Centre to constitute a national-level body to probe systemic regulatory failures and to direct mandatory toxicological testing of all suspect drugs through NABL-accredited labs before further sale or export.
The case follows alarming reports of multiple child deaths allegedly linked to a specific brand of cough syrup in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.
(With inputs from PTI)