Cough syrup deaths: SC agrees to hear PIL seeking CBI probe, safety review

The Supreme Court agreed to hear on Friday a PIL seeking inquiry and systemic reform in drug safety mechanisms in the wake of deaths of children in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan allegedly due to consumption of toxic cough syrups.

A bench comprising Chief Justice B R Gavai and Justices Ujjal Bhuyan and K Vinod Chandran took note of the submissions of PIL petitioner and lawyer Vishal Tiwari that the plea needed an urgent hearing.

The bench agreed to hear the plea on October 10.

The plea seeks a court-monitored probe into the incidents and urges the constitution of a National Judicial Commission or Expert Committee headed by a retired Supreme Court judge.

The PIL requests that all pending FIRs and investigations concerning the deaths of children caused by toxic cough syrups across states be transferred to the CBI.

It seeks a probe under the supervision of a retired Supreme Court judge to ensure fairness and uniformity.

The petition contends that separate state-level investigations have led to fragmented accountability, enabling repeated lapses that allow hazardous formulations to reach the market.

The petition comes amid reports from Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, where several children died allegedly after consuming a particular kind of cough syrup.

The plea seeks court's direction to the central government to identify the regulatory failures that allowed substandard medicines to reach the market.

It also urged the court to mandate toxicological testing of all suspect products through NABL-accredited laboratories before any further sale or export is permitted.