A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been filed in the Supreme Court demanding a CBI probe and sweeping reforms in India’s drug safety framework following the reported deaths of children in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan due to allegedly toxic cough syrups.
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.
(With inputs from PTI)