Criticising the state's police, Gujarat high court on Wednesday ordered a Central Bureau of Investigation probe into the case of 23 thalassemic children contracting HIV, allegedly during blood transfusion in Junagadh civil hospital in September last year.
Thalassemia is a blood related genetic disorder and patients require regular blood transfusions.
Two of the 23 children who contracted HIV have died.
A division bench passed the order on petitions of parents of the children and a lawyer who had sought a CBI probe.
The bench said, "The way the state agency (police) has conducted investigation, we are compelled to exercise our power to direct the investigation to CBI for the credibility of the probe."
The petitions were filed after the local police refused to lodge an FIR against the health department officials responsible for the blood transfusion.
The parents have alleged that the hospital's doctors and officials of the Sarvodaya Blood Bank, run by a trust headed by local BJP MLA Mahenra Mashru, are responsible for their children getting contaminated blood.
With inputs from PTI
{{/usCountry}}With inputs from PTI
{{/usCountry}}