HIV infection to 27 thalassemic kids: Court sets aside closure report, asks CBI to probe further

In its closure report, CBI said there was negligence, but no one can be prosecuted as no criminal case was made out against anyone.

A special court on Monday asked the CBI to further investigate an incident in which 27 thalassemic children contracted HIV allegedly during blood transfusion at Junagadh civil hospital. It ordered the agency to find people responsible for the incident and file a detailed report in two months.

Special CBI judge N J Nayi also set aside the closure report filed by the probe agency which gave clean chit to everyone, including local BJP MLA Mahendra Mashru from whose blood bank the contaminated blood was allegedly supplied.

The case was detected in 2011 and, so far, seven children have died. The CBI was directed to probe the incident following a Gujarat High Court order. In its closure report, the agency said there was negligence, but no one can be prosecuted as no criminal case was made out against anyone.

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The special court pronounced the order on an application moved by parents of the affected children after the CBI filed a closure report. The court held that the CBI investigation was incomplete and it required further probe.

The parents had challenged the closure report alleging that the CBI came to such a conclusion due to the pressure from politicians. They claimed that Mashru ran the Sarvodaya blood bank, which allegedly supplied the infected blood, and it was not registered.

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