New Delhi, Oct 10: The Supreme Court is slated to hear on Friday a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking a high-level probe into the deaths of children allegedly caused by the consumption of contaminated cough syrup in Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra.

The PIL claimed that at least 14 children have died since early September, with most of the cases reported from Nagpur in Maharashtra and Chhindwara in Madhya Pradesh.

As per the causelist published on the website of the apex court, a Bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) BR Gavai and Justice K Vinod Chandran will hear the matter on October 10. The plea, filed by advocate Vishal Tiwari, claimed that laboratory tests conducted by the Madhya Pradesh government confirmed the presence of Diethylene Glycol (DEG) — a toxic industrial solvent prohibited for pharmaceutical use — in ‘Coldrif Cough Syrup’ manufactured by Tamil Nadu’s Sresan Pharma Pvt. Ltd.

It added that initial cases were reported from Madhya Pradesh’s Chhindwara district in early September, and within days, the death toll mounted as similar cases emerged from Nagpur, Maharashtra.

“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.

It drew parallels with the Gambia and Uzbekistan incidents, where DEG-contaminated Indian syrups were linked to over 90 child deaths abroad. “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.

The plea has sought the constitution of a National Judicial Commission or Expert Committee, headed by a retired Supreme Court judge, to conduct a comprehensive inquiry into the manufacture, regulation, testing and distribution of contaminated syrups and to recommend systemic drug-safety reforms.

Further, it seeks a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the deaths of children across states, under the supervision of a former apex court judge.

The PIL also urged the top court to transfer all pending FIRs related to the deaths to the CBI to ensure a uniform and independent investigation.

Another prayer is for immediate recall, seizure and prohibition of all batches of Coldrif Cough Syrup and other related formulations manufactured by Sresan Pharma Pvt. Ltd., until independent NABL-accredited laboratories issue toxicological clearance and verification of safety.

On Monday, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) issued notices to the Principal Secretaries of the Health Departments of Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan on a complaint alleging serious lapses in drug safety and regulatory mechanisms that led to the tragedy.

The apex human rights body has directed the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI), Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation, Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, to initiate a comprehensive investigation into the supply chain of the alleged spurious drugs, apart from instructing all regional labs in the concerned states to collect and test samples.

“The authority is also directed to order all the Chief Drugs Controllers in the concerned states to process immediately the banning of the spurious drugs and submit reports,” the NHRC said.

New Delhi, Oct 10: Umar Khalid was made an accused in the North East Delhi riots 2020 larger conspiracy case by virtue of being a member of a WhatsApp group, his counsel told the Karkardooma Court in Delhi on Thursday. He added that other persons who were present during the same meeting have not been named as accused by the Delhi Police.

These submissions were made before the court during arguments on the charge.

Umar Khalid is an accused under UAPA over the alleged conspiracy of the North East Delhi riots of 2020.

Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Sameer Bajpai, after hearing the submissions, listed the matter for further arguments on October 14.

During arguments, Senior Advocate Tridip Pais, representing Khalid, contended that Umar Khalid has been made an accused by the police on the basis of being a member of a WhatsApp group.
However, the other similarly situated persons are not made accused by the police, he argued.

Senior Counsel during the arguements referred to a media report to claim that other persons were present in the meeting linked with the alleged Conspiracy. Though have not been accused by the Delhi Police.

It was further argued that Umar Khalid even tried to de-escalate the situation and asked not to protest. However, he did not have control over others.

On Wednesday, it was argued that he wasn’t even present at the “main conspiratorial meeting” allegedly held on January 8, 2020. It is alleged that, according to the Delhi Police, on the basis of this meeting, the entire “conspiracy” was allegedly planned.

During the arguements, senior advocate Tridip Pais, counsel for Umar Khalid, had argued that the main meeting in which Umar Khalid had supposedly conspired, he was not even present in the same.

Senior advocate Pais had submitted that, according to an analysis of CDR charts, they (Accused) weren’t even there at the meeting.

It was also submitted that there is no recovery from Umar Khalid, and there are no allegations of receiving or raising funds.

He also referred to the statements of protected witness Saturn during arguments. He argued that the alleged meeting was held on January 8. Umar Khalid was interrogated on May 21. His statement was recorded on September 27, after his arrest.

Delhi Police have already argued on the point of charges. Now the accused persons are arguing on the point of framing of charge. There are 18 accused persons, including Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam, Tahir Hussain, Devangana Kalita, Natasha Narwal, Gulfisha Fatima, Asif Iqbal Tanha, Safoora Jargar, Abdul Khalid Saifi, Meeran Haider, Athar Khan, Shifa Ur Rehman and others.

New Delhi, Oct 9: Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Amit Shah, on Thursday, said that the terror network in Jammu and Kashmir had been nearly crippled.

Chairing a high-level meeting in New Delhi to review the security situation in J&K, the Home Minister said that due to the determined efforts of the security agencies, the terrorist network nurtured by enemies of the nation in J&K had been almost crippled.

He assured that all necessary resources would continue to be provided to sustain these efforts.

Shah said that security forces would continue to have full freedom of action to crush any attempt to threaten peace and security in the region.

He reaffirmed Prime Minister Narendra Modi government’s unwavering commitment to achieving the goal of a terrorism-free J&K.

The Home Minister appreciated the steps taken by the J&K administration and security agencies following the Pahalgam terror attack, which have helped strengthen the overall security scenario in J&K.

He emphasised the vital role of all security agencies in working in a coordinated and vigilant manner to eliminate terrorism from the region.

Shah said that with the onset of winter, security forces must remain fully prepared to ensure that terrorists do not exploit snowfall to infiltrate across the border.

Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha; Union Home Secretary, Govind Mohan; Director, Intelligence Bureau, Tapan Deka; Chief of Army Staff, Gen Upendra Dwivedi; Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo, and Director General of Police (DGP) Nalin Prabhat; Director General of Central Reserve Police Forces (CRPF), G P Singh and DG BSF Daljit Singh Chawdhary; and senior officers from the Government of India, the Army, and the J&K administration attended the meeting.

“Reviewed the security of Jammu and Kashmir along with the Lt Governor and other senior officials. We are committed to cripple the terror ecosystem in J&K. Our security forces will continue to have full freedom to crush any attempt to threaten peace and security in the region. Instructed to further intensify alertness and synergy to accelerate Modi Ji’s vision of a terror-free Jammu and Kashmir,” the Home Minister said in a message on microblogging site ‘X’.

Shah chaired the last such review meeting on J&K on September 1.

Post Pahalgam attack in April, continuous operations have continued to dismantle the terror network in J&K and bring tourism in the region back to normalcy.