Indian Academy of Paediatrics (IAP), representing nearly 50,000 paediatricians across India, has written to Deputy Chief Minister Rajendra Shukla, urging the withdrawal of criminal charges filed against Dr Praveen Soni, a paediatrician from Chhindwara. The doctor was arrested in connection with the deaths of children allegedly caused by a contaminated cough syrup. In its letter, the IAP stated that the medicine prescribed by Dr Soni was a licensed and lawfully manufactured drug, routinely available in the Indian market.

 

The contamination, it said, was a manufacturing and quality control failure, not a prescribing error. “Holding the doctor criminally liable for this tragedy is contrary to medical ethics, legal principles, and multiple Supreme Court judgements,” College, Bhopal, demanding justice for Dr Soni. PMTA convenor

 

Dr Rakesh Malviya said, “The drug prescribed by Dr Soni was approved by authorities; if the medicine was contaminated, the accountability lies with the manufacturer and regulators, not the doctor.” The press conference was attended by several senior doctors including Dr Lokendra Dave,

 

Head of the Pulmonary Medicine Department at GMC, Dr Parag Sharma, Associate Professor Dr Rajesh Tikkas, Professor of Paediatrics and Dr Lalit Shrivastav, Senior Ophthalmologist at Kamla Nehru Hospital. All echoed the demand for withdrawal of the case. The IAP has cautioned that criminalising routine medical prescriptions will create fear among doctors and harm healthcare delivery, especially for children, urging the government to intervene swiftly.