Overview
- Indore bench Justices Vivek Rusia and JK Pillai took suo motu cognisance, issued notices to senior state and local authorities, and appointed senior advocate Piyush Mathur as amicus curiae.
- The court ordered the government to file post-mortem and status reports by September 15 on two newborn girls allegedly bitten by rats on August 31–September 1 who died on September 2 and 3.
- Following a state probe, paediatric surgery HOD Dr Brajesh Lahoti was removed, acting head Dr Manoj Joshi was suspended, and superintendent Dr Ashok Yadav went on leave with Dr Basant Ningwal given charge.
- The Health Department terminated Agile’s pest-control and security contract and served notice to another contractor after the hospital had earlier fined Agile ₹1 lakh.
- Hospital officials dispute that rat bites caused the deaths, citing congenital conditions, as families and activists seek accountability and compensation and the Medical Teachers Association urges reversal of Dr Joshi’s suspension.