Cough syrup deaths: PIL in Supreme Court seeks CBI Probe, nationwide drug safety review

A PIL has been filed in the Supreme Court 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.

The PIL, filed by advocate Vishal Tiwari, 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 allegedly died after consuming a particular kind of cough syrup.

The plea seeks court's direction to the Central government to constitute a national-level judicial or expert body 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.