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Satna HIV case: Multiple teams probing, nothing conclusive yet, says CHMO Dr Manoj Shukla

Satna/Bhopal, Dec 20 (IANS) Chief Health and Medical Officer (CHMO) of Satna district, Dr Manoj Shukla, on Saturday said that multiple teams are investigating the case of six thalassaemic children who tested positive for HIV, but no concrete findings have emerged so far.

Dr Shukla, a senior surgeon who has been issued a show-cause notice by the state administration, told IANS that the matter is complex and will take time to reach definitive conclusions.

“Multiple investigation teams have arrived, and each is conducting inquiries according to its specific mandate. As of now, nothing conclusive has come to light. The investigation will take time as this is a lengthy and complex matter,” he said.

He added that tracing blood donors is proving to be a major challenge. “The list of donors is very long, and tracing, calling, examining, and investigating so many people is a difficult task,” Dr Shukla said.

On Friday, the state administration suspended a doctor and two laboratory technicians at Satna district hospital based on the findings of a preliminary inquiry conducted by a seven-member investigation committee. Those suspended include Dr Devendra Patel, in charge of the blood bank, and laboratory technicians Ram Bhai Tripathi and Nandalal Pandey.

Deputy Chief Minister Rajendra Shukla told IANS on Friday that CHMO Dr Manoj Shukla has been issued a show-cause notice and has been asked to submit his reply within a week.

According to officials, six children aged between three and 15 years, all suffering from thalassaemia, tested positive for HIV between January and May 2025. However, the matter came to light only on December 16. Officials also said that the parents of one of the children were already HIV-positive.

Meanwhile, Public Health and Medical Education Commissioner Tarun Rathi held a review meeting with officials on Friday and issued instructions on the functioning of government and private blood banks across the state. He also directed an audit of all blood centres and asked that a report be submitted to the Drug Controller within five days.

All six children had received blood transfusions at the Satna district hospital, while some had also been given blood at private centres, including in Jabalpur. All of them are currently undergoing treatment at the district hospital.

–IANS

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MP Congress alleges ‘irregularities’ in 27 Assembly seats it lost with narrow margins in 2023

Bhopal, Aug 19 (IANS) Amid the ongoing high-voltage row over alleged irregularities in the electoral system in the country at the national level, the Madhya Pradesh Congress has levelled some serious allegations of ‘vote theft’ during the Assembly Elections held in November 2023.

Senior Congress MLA and Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the State Assembly, Umang Singhar along with some other senior leaders presented graphics based on data, scanned government orders and regulations, during a Press conference at the party’s headquarters in Bhopal on Tuesday.

The Congress, which is the main Opposition party in Madhya Pradesh, raised apprehensions on the results of 27 Assembly seats, in which Congress candidates lost the election with very narrow margins.

“The Congress lost these 27 seats by very narrow margins despite an unexpected vote growth in these Assembly constituencies, which indicates irregularities in the voter list,” LoP Umang Singhar said while addressing the Press.

He stated that, in those same constituencies, the increase in voter numbers was found to be much higher than the margin of defeat, “suggesting that BJP may have been given an undue advantage”.

Singhar said that the ECI refused to publish photos in online voter lists citing ‘privacy’ and ‘file size’, but when the government advertised its schemes, photos and videos of beneficiaries were made fully public in documents and ads.

“If privacy isn’t violated there, why are photos not included in the voter list, which is essential for transparency,” the Congress leader asked.

He claimed that, “Whenever irregularities in the voter list are raised, the Madhya Pradesh CEO website either goes down or shows the notice ‘website under maintenance'”.

However, despite the explosive nature of the charges by the Opposition party, the ruling BJP in Madhya Pradesh was yet to response to the Congress’ allegations.

In the last Assembly elections held in November 2023, the BJP had won 163 out 230 seats, while the Congress could secure only 66 seats.

–IANS

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BJP targets Gandhi family over corruption allegations; questions LoP Rahul’s post supporting Vadra

New Delhi, July 19 (IANS) BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi launched a scathing attack on the Gandhi family on Saturday, accusing them of shielding each other in corruption cases and questioning the constitutional propriety of Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi’s recent tweet defending his brother-in-law Robert Vadra.

Speaking to the media in New Delhi, Trivedi took a sharp dig at LoP Gandhi, saying, “He stood in support of his ‘hardworking farmer’ brother-in-law Robert Vadra (in a sarcastic tone), after the Enforcement Directorate filed a chargesheet against him.”

Trivedi alleged that LoP Gandhi, who is himself out on bail, is now trying to protect Vadra’s alleged “ill-gotten wealth” under the guise of family loyalty.

Trivedi further referred to Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s support for former Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel’s son, who was arrested by the ED on Friday, calling it another example of the “Gandhi family shielding corruption.” “Every member of the Congress’ first family is standing with each other to cover up corruption,” he said.

“This shows the real foundation of the Congress party’s politics,” he said.

He pointed out that while Congress MP Rahul Gandhi is in the Lok Sabha, his mother Sonia Gandhi is a Rajya Sabha MP, and sister Priyanka is also in the Lok Sabha — while most of the land remains with Vadra.

“The family has always held power, and even when out of government, they want to retain it through corrupt means,” he alleged.

Trivedi accused the Gandhis of deliberately dividing society based on region, language, and caste to protect their influence. “If this was merely a family matter, why make it a political issue?” he asked.

Responding to the Congress’ criticism over Donald Trump’s claim that 4–5 planes were shot down during the India-Pakistan conflict, Trivedi said, “Instead of celebrating India’s diplomatic victories like the TRF terror designation, they always look for the negative. Ironically, those who travel abroad the most fail to understand foreign policy.”

–IANS

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