Balaghat sterilisation camp: HC registers suo motu PIL, serves notices

The MP high court has registered a suo motu public interest litigation (PIL) on directives of the apex court pertaining to a sterilisation camp held in Balaghat district in February 2012 wherein surgeries were allegedly done against standard procedures.

The MP high court has registered a suo motu public interest litigation (PIL) on directives of the apex court pertaining to a sterilisation camp held in Balaghat district in February 2012 wherein surgeries were allegedly done against standard procedures.

Surgeries were allegedly done against standard procedures at a sterilisation camp held in Balaghat district in February 2012.(Pic for representation)

The court has served six weeks’ returnable notices on the Union and state principal secretaries of the health and family welfare departments and the Madhya Pradesh commissioner, health and family welfare.

The apex court on September 14, 2016 issued the directives to the high courts of MP, Maharashtra, Kerala and Rajasthan in 2012 on a petition filed by health rights activist Devika Biswas of Araria district, Bihar. Biswas raised certain irregularities and deviation from standard operation procedures in holding sterilisation camps in these states.

The apex court directed high courts of these states to initiate suo motu PIL considering allegations made by the petitioner. The SC has pointed to MP high court that the affidavit filed by the state government on August 7, 2013 has nowhere denied allegations made by Devika Biswas with regard to the camp held in Balaghat.

The petitioner had alleged that established procedures were not followed in the sterilisation camp in February 2012.

While issuing notices on the PIL, a division bench comprising acting chief justice Rajendra Menon and justice Anurag Shrivastava observed that there has been loss of life besides inconvenience to the general public due to irregularities in sterilisation procedures.

Deputy advocate general Samdarshi Tiwari, appearing for the state government and advocate Sandeep Shukla appearing for the Union government prayed for time to file reply towards the petition. The court order was received on Friday.