Following the recent spate of child deaths in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan caused by the consumption of toxic cough syrups, a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking an independent, court-monitored probe into the incident and a nationwide review of drug safety mechanisms.

The petition, filed by advocate Vishal Tiwari, calls for 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, testing, and distribution of contaminated cough syrups containing Diethylene Glycol (DEG) and Ethylene Glycol (EG), the same toxic compounds that have previously caused fatalities.

The PIL comes amid alarming reports from Shivpuri in Madhya Pradesh and Barmer in

See Full Page