SC rejects plea for CBI probe into cough syrup deaths
Supreme Court of India
In a swift legal action, the Supreme Court of India dismissed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) demanding an inquiry and systemic reform in drug safety mechanisms following the tragic deaths of children in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, allegedly due to the consumption of toxic cough syrups.
The PIL, filed by lawyer Vishal Tiwari, sought urgent intervention into the matter.
A bench comprising Chief Justice B R Gavai and Justices Ujjal Bhuyan and K Vinod Chandran dismissed the PIL after Solicitor General Tushar Mehta objected to it.
As per PTI, the top law officer said the petitioner reads the newspaper and rushes to the court.
The bench, which was initially of the view that the notice should be issued, later dismissed it.
Mehta said he was not appearing for any state at the moment but the seriousness with which states like Tamil Nadu and Madhya Pradesh are taking actions cannot be undermined.
Moreover, there are proper law enforcement mechanisms in states, he added.
The bench asked Tiwari as to how many PILs he has filed so far in the top court and on being told that he has moved eight to 10 such pleas so far, the bench dismissed the instant petition.
"Dismissed," the CJI said.
The PIL claimed that laboratory tests conducted by the Madhya Pradesh government confirmed that Diethylene Glycol (DEG)—a toxic industrial solvent prohibited for pharmaceutical use—was found in 'Coldrif Cough Syrup', manufactured by Tamil Nadu's Sresan Pharma Pvt. Ltd.
“Despite the catastrophic findings, the Union Government and the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) allegedly failed to issue an immediate nationwide recall or ban, permitting the continued circulation of potentially poisonous medicines across States,” the plea stated.
“This is not a tragedy of chance but of negligence, apathy, and regulatory failure -- an institutional rot that allows counterfeit and adulterated drugs to enter the public market unchecked,” the PIL stated.
