HC orders CBI probe in thalassemic kids getting HIV infection

The Gujarat High Court on Wednesday ordered a CBI probe into a case where 23 children suffering from thalassemia allegedly got infected with HIV virus after undergoing blood transfusion at Junagadh Civil hospital last year.

A division bench of acting Chief Justice Bhaskar Bhattacharya and Justice J B Pardiwala ordered the central agency to investigate into the after it found the probe by the state police unsatisfactory.

The court was acting on a PIL filed by an advocate seeking a CBI investigation into the case along with compensation for the family of victims.

The court has asked the central agency to file initial probe report with in a month, after which they would schedule the hearing.

Last year, 23 children, who were suffering from thalassemia, were found to be HIV positive after they had undergone blood transfusion in the Civil Hospital, Junagadh.

The parents had alleged that the doctors from the hospital and officials from the Sarvodaya blood bank, attached with the civil hospital, were responsible for the criminal negligence as they had not tested the blood before transfusion. Two children of the 23 who were infected with HIV died in the last one year.

As local police refused to register an FIR, the parents approached the High Court. On their plea, the HC had earlier ordered to register an FIR in the case and asked that an IPS officer should conduct an investigation in the case. Meanwhile, an advocate at the High Court also filed a PIL seeking CBI investigation in this case, on which he court on Wednesday ordered CBI probe.