BHOPAL: More than a month after deaths in Indore due to contaminated water supply, a one-man inquiry commission headed by former Madhya Pradesh High Court Judge, Sushil Kumar Gupta was appointed by the High Court’s Indore Bench on Tuesday.
“Considering the gravity of the allegation and affecting the right to life under Article 21 of the Constitution of India and the need for an independent fact finding exercise, the Court is of the opinion that the matter requires investigation by an independent, credible authority.
Accordingly, we appoint Justice Sushil Kumar Gupta, Former Judge of Madhya Pradesh High Court, a one-man commission of inquiry into the issues relating to water contamination in Bhagirathpura, Indore, and its impact,” a two judge bench comprising Justices Vijay Kumar Shukla and Alok Awasthi said on Tuesday night.
The HC further said that the Commission will and submit a report on the cause of contamination, including whether the drinking water supplied to Bhagirathpura was contaminated. The Commission is to submit an interim report four weeks from the date of the commencement of proceedings, the court directed, while fixing the date for next hearing as February 5.
Earlier in the day, the state government had informed the court that 16 out of 23 deaths audited so far by a specialised death audit committee, have been found to have happened due to water contamination.
Civil Court powers given
The Commission will have powers of a Civil Court for the purpose of summoning officials and witnesses, calling up records from the Government department, hospitals, laboratories and civic bodies, ordering water quality testing and conducting spot inspections.