HC reserves order on Junagadh HIV infections (List of HIV victim children)

AHMEDABAD: A bench of acting chief justice of the Gujarat high court, Bhaskar Bhattacharya, and justice J B Pardiwala has reserved its order on whether investigation should be transferred to the CBI in connection with HIV-infected thalassaemic kids of Junagadh.

The advocate and parents of some of 23 thalassaemic kids, who were found infected with HIV due to transfusion of contaminated blood, had sought a thorough probe. The HC asked the then ASP Junagadh, Shobha Bhutada, to investigate. But the court was not satisfied with her efforts.

Last month, the court issued a show-cause notice to the government on transferring the case to the CBI. On Friday, government pleader Prakash Jani vehemently opposed the proposal highlighting how the central agency was short of strength. The senior counsel also supplied papers showing history of CBI probes across the country, ostensibly demonstrating that the agency had miserably failed and faced criticism. He reiterated that the court should give a chance to the state agency to probe the case.

On the other hand, petitioners' lawyer Girish Das contended that an opportunity was given to the state police, but it had failed to deliver.

List By Hanif khokhar - junagadh (+91 9426457264)