Tuesday , November 5 2024

Case of death of 68 children due to cough syrup in Uzbekistan, Indian citizen gets 20 years jail

The Supreme Court of Uzbekistan on Monday sentenced 23 people, including Indian businessman Raghavendra Pratap, in the case of death of 68 children in India due to drinking poisonous cough syrup. The cough syrup was given to at least 86 children in the Central Asian country between 2022 and 2023, 68 of whom died.

All the accused have been sentenced to 2-20 years. Raghavendra Pratap, director of a company that imported Dok-1 Max syrup in Uzbekistan, has been sentenced to the maximum jail term of 20 years. According to the Supreme Court of All Uzbekistan, he was found guilty of corruption, tax evasion and counterfeiting.

Uzbekistan: Indian national gets 20 years in jail over 68 deaths caused by contaminated cough syrup - India Today

Additionally, the court also said that US$80,000 (1 billion Uzbek) should be compensated to the families of each of the 68 children who died after drinking the contaminated syrup. The court has also issued an order to give compensation to four other children suffering from disability. The court said in its order that compensation will be recovered from all the seven accused.

The World Health Organization said in January 2023 that cough syrup samples were found to be contaminated with diethylene glycol or ethylene glycol, toxic substances used as industrial solvents that can cause serious health problems even in small amounts. Can be dangerous. After this, India canceled the production license of Marion Biotech, a company making Kafar syrup.

During the same period, at least 70 children died in Gambia after drinking camphor syrup imported from India. Another cough syrup in similar containers in Indonesia is believed to have caused the deaths of more than 200 children between 2022 and 2023.