Hearing petitions regarding the water contamination tragedy in Indore, the Madhya Pradesh High Court on Tuesday asked the state government what the scientific basis was for its conclusion that 16 of the 23 deaths in the Bhagirathpura area were confirmed to be due to water contamination and the others were not.
The court also observed that there was an “alarming situation” created following the deaths, in which “nobody feels that we are drinking safe water these days”.
The petitions were being heard by a Bench of Justices Vijay Kumar Shukla and Alok Awasthi.
The state government has submitted to the court that 23 deaths had taken place, of which 16 were due to water contamination and that five additional cases were under review.
Justice Shukla asked how the government came this conclusion.
“The fact remains, out of 23, according to you, 16 is confirmed. What is the basis of this? …You say that now it is conclusive. Whose report is it? Who has come to this conclusion?” Justice Shukla asked.
Additional Advocate General Rahul Sethi submitted on behalf of the state that information was based on “case sheets, and verbal autopsy details provided by CMHO (Chief Medical and Health Officer)”.
Justice Shukla, however, asked about the basis on which they came to the conclusion that some deaths were due to water contamination while some were not.
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Senior Advocate Ajay Bagadia, who appeared on behalf of the petitioners, told the court, “In fact, I will go to the extent of saying even they are not very sure about the cause of death in the report.”
Sethi said the government would submit a report within three days regarding all 23 cases, explaining the cause of death based on postmortem reports and other medical documents.
Justice Shukla perused the death audit report, which mentioned the term verbal autopsy, and remarked that such a term was unheard of. “Can you enlighten? What is verbal autopsy?” he asked.
The state government submitted that the term was related to documentation based on the statements of the attendants of the patients. “The word should have been verbal information, not verbal autopsy,” Sethi submitted.
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Justice Shukla said that the word autopsy “indicates in our mind that you have done a postmortem, and on the basis of that, you have come to the conclusion”.
“See, this report, which is so certain, we want to know, how did you come to this conclusion? …According to you, it is only 16. And for about six or something, you say it is inconclusive. We are not finding the basis for this report. That is very important,” the judge observed.
He also mentioned the news of water contamination being reported in Mhow. “It’s a really very alarming situation… Nobody is finding it safe. I am telling you, the first reaction after hearing this case was that I enquired who cleaned the water tank of the High Court. I called that contractor, I verified immediately and I got it cleaned. So much panic among everyone in the town. Nobody feels that we are drinking safe water these days. So it’s a very alarming situation…,” Justice Shukla said.
Anand Mohan J is an award-winning Senior Correspondent for The Indian Express, currently leading the bureau’s coverage of Madhya Pradesh. With a career spanning over eight years, he has established himself as a trusted voice at the intersection of law, internal security, and public policy.
Based in Bhopal, Anand is widely recognized for his authoritative reporting on Maoist insurgency in Central India. In late 2025, he provided exclusive, ground-level coverage of the historic surrender of the final Maoist cadres in Madhya Pradesh, detailing the backchannel negotiations and the "vacuum of command" that led to the state being declared Maoist-free.
Expertise and Reporting Beats
Anand’s investigative work is characterized by a "Journalism of Courage" approach, holding institutions accountable through deep-dive analysis of several key sectors:
National Security & Counter-Insurgency: He is a primary chronicler of the decline of Naxalism in the Central Indian corridor, documenting the tactical shifts of security forces and the rehabilitation of surrendered cadres.
Judiciary & Legal Accountability: Drawing on over four years of experience covering Delhi’s trial courts and the Madhya Pradesh High Court, Anand deconstructs complex legal rulings. He has exposed critical institutional lapses, including custodial safety violations and the misuse of the National Security Act (NSA).
Wildlife Conservation (Project Cheetah): Anand is a leading reporter on Project Cheetah at Kuno National Park. He has provided extensive coverage of the biological and administrative hurdles of rewilding Namibian and South African cheetahs, as well as high-profile cases of wildlife trafficking.
Public Health & Social Safety: His recent investigative work has uncovered systemic negligence in public services, such as contaminated blood transfusions causing HIV infections in thalassemia patients and the human cost of the fertilizer crisis affecting rural farmers.
Professional Background
Tenure: Joined The Indian Express in 2017.
Locations: Transitioned from the high-pressure Delhi City beat (covering courts, police, and labor issues) to his current role as a regional lead in Madhya Pradesh.
Notable Investigations: * Exposed the "digital arrest" scams targeting entrepreneurs.
Investigated the Bandhavgarh elephant deaths and the impact of kodo millet fungus on local wildlife.
Documented the transition of power and welfare schemes (like Ladli Behna) in Madhya Pradesh governance.
Digital & Professional Presence
Author Profile: Anand Mohan J at Indian Express
Twitter handle: @mohanreports ... Read More
