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Register cases for deaths caused by Celphos, demands expert

Special Correspondent

JAIPUR: A medico-legal expert here has sought registration of FIRs in connection with the death of 2,507 persons by consumption of Celphos, a pesticide illegally sold in the open market, during 2001 to 2005 and a compensation of Rs.5-lakh each to their families.

Aluminium phosphide, which is the main constituent of Celphos, is a deadly poison and is licensed to be manufactured and supplied only to warehouses and storage agencies. However, these tablets are freely available in the pesticide shops of several States and are widely used as household pesticide.

Restrictions flouted

According to S.G. Kabra, who is adviser to Santokba Durlabhji Memorial Hospital -- the biggest private hospital in Rajasthan -- the free availability of Celphos in contravention of legal restrictions has led to thousands of suicidal, homicidal and accidental deaths every year in States such as Haryana, Punjab and Rajasthan. Dr. Kabra has filed a public interest writ petition in the Rajasthan High Court seeking directions for a complete ban on the sale of Celphos in the open market, registration of FIRs, investigations to pinpoint responsibility for its clandestine availability in the market and payment of compensation to the families of the deceased.

Notices issued

Justice Ashok Parihar of the High Court has issued notices to the Union Agriculture Secretary, Central Warehousing Corporation, Director-General of Rajasthan Police, Food Corporation of India, and Celphos manufacturer Excel Industries Limited of Mumbai.

The Rajasthan State Forensic Science Laboratory had informed the State police in October last year that 2,507 samples were found positive for the chemical constituents of Celphos in post-mortem specimens and viscera received for examination between 2001 and 2005.

The Court asked the respondents to explain why proper action was not taken not only against the manufacturing companies but also against the agencies from where the pesticide was pilfered in the market and those who were selling it in the pesticide shops.

Dr. Kabra pointed out that aluminium phosphide being a deadly poisonous substance, the legal responsibility for ensuring its safe custody was absolute for the manufacturers and warehouses. "These lobbies are jointly responsible for the clandestine availability of Celphos in the market," he said.

The medico-legal expert, working in the field of accountability of State authorities and medical professionals, said though the deaths by Celphos poisoning were always a matter of police investigation, factors such as who supplied the killer poison and where and how the deceased got it were never investigated. "As a result, those who market murder go scot-free," Dr. Kabra said, adding that nearly 20 per cent of the victims of Celphos consumption were children.

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