Medics fear COVID vaccine link to cricketer Shane Warne's sudden death
London, Jun 20: A leading UK-based Indian-origin consultant cardiologist and an Australian medic said on Tuesday that they fear the sudden death last year of Australian cricket legend Shane Warne may have been precipitated by the COVID mRNA vaccine that he had taken approximately nine months prior.
Cardiologists Dr Aseem Malhotra and Dr Chris Neil, who is also President of the Australian Medical Professionals' Society (AMPS), said the post-mortem findings for Warne, 52, revealed coronary atherosclerosis or heart disease.
They said their research shows that a COVID mRNA vaccine can cause a rapid acceleration of coronary disease, especially in those that may already have undetected mild heart disease.
"It's quite unusual for former international sportsmen to suffer a sudden cardiac death at such a young age, 52," said Dr Malhotra.
"At the same time, we also know Shane didn't have the healthiest lifestyle in recent years, being both overweight and a smoker. It's likely that some mild underlying furring of his arteries as I've seen with my own patients and how my own father died rapidly progressed in the months after he received two doses of the Pfizer mRNA COVID vaccine," he said.
Warne, a leg spin bowler, was found unresponsive in his hotel room in Thailand in March last year. Malhotra points to published research which shows the plausible biological mechanism of "mild underlying furring" occurring through increasing coronary inflammation that can last for months after the vaccine has been administered.
"The evidence for common and serious adverse cardiac effects from these jabs is overwhelming, and I have no doubt that a major contributor to the excess deaths we are seeing around the world, including Australia, is because of the COVID mRNA vaccines," he said.
"There needs to be an immediate suspension of their use worldwide pending an investigation to stop further people being harmed and dying unnecessarily," added Malhotra.
Australia-based Dr Neil also said that after critically appraising all the evidence, it became "clear" to him that the COVID vaccines can adversely affect the cardiovascular system in more ways than just myocarditis and pericarditis or forms of heart inflammation.
"Looking at the data, 20 per cent of all notifications of heart attacks as suspected drug reactions ever reported to the TGA [Therapeutic Goods Administration] over 52 years have nominated a COVID vaccine as the suspected medicine. Most of these reports were made by doctors, so we know that many including cardiologists are concerned," said Neil.
"These signals are a call for critical attention, and we will be releasing a series of pharmacovigilance reports, starting with one on cardiovascular adverse events," he said.
Former England cricketer and Indian Premier League (IPL) regular Dimitri Mascarenhas reacted to the news about Warne, whom he described as his "best friend".
"Shane was my best friend. I'm shocked and saddened to learn that his death was entirely preventable," said Mascarenhas.
"If he'd not taken the COVID vaccine, he'd likely still be alive today. He wouldn't want others to be harmed, so I fully support these doctors' calls for an immediate suspension of these jabs in Australia and around the world," he said.
In the UK, Conservative Party MP Andrew Bridgen also backed the call for the suspension of vaccines until deeper research is conducted.
"Many people have privately raised concerns regarding the cause of Shane Warne's death at such a young age, however this new analysis from eminent expert cardiologists linking it to the COVID vaccination must now be a wake-up call for world health authorities," said Bridgen.
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Deep societal faultlines persist despite 75 years of independence: Justice Ujjal Bhuyan
Judge cites denial of home to Muslim girl, opposition to Dalit women cooking mid-day meals
Hyderabad, February 23, 2026: Supreme Court judge Justice Ujjal Bhuyan has said that despite repeated affirmations of constitutional morality by courts, deep societal faultlines rooted in caste and religious discrimination continue to shape everyday realities in India.
Speaking at a seminar on “Constitutional Morality and the Role of District Judiciary” organised by the Telangana Judges Association and the Telangana State Judicial Academy in Hyderabad, Justice Bhuyan reflected on the gap between constitutional ideals and social practices.
He cited a recent instance involving his daughter’s friend, a PhD scholar at a private university in Noida, who was denied accommodation in South Delhi after her surname revealed her Muslim identity. According to Justice Bhuyan, the landlady bluntly informed her that no accommodation was available once her religious background became known.
In another example from Odisha, he referred to resistance by some parents to the government’s mid-day meal programme because the food was prepared by Dalit women employed as cooks. He noted that some parents had objected aggressively and refused to allow their children to consume meals cooked by members of the Scheduled Caste community.
Describing these incidents as “the tip of the iceberg,” Justice Bhuyan said they reveal how far society remains from the benchmark of constitutional morality even 75 years into the Republic. He observed that while the Constitution lays down standards of equality and dignity, the morality practised within homes and communities often diverges sharply from those values.
He emphasised that constitutional morality requires governance through the rule of law rather than the rule of popular opinion. Referring to the evolution of the doctrine through judicial decisions, he cited Naz Foundation v Union of India, in which the Delhi High Court read down Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, holding that popular morality cannot restrict fundamental rights under Article 21. Though the judgment was later overturned in Suresh Kumar Koushal v Naz Foundation, the Supreme Court ultimately restored and expanded the principle in Navtej Singh Johar v Union of India, affirming that constitutional morality must prevail over majoritarian views.
“In our constitutional scheme, it is the constitutionality of the issue before the court that is relevant, not the dominant or popular view,” he said.
Justice Bhuyan also addressed the functioning of the district judiciary, underlining that trial courts are the first point of contact for most litigants and form the foundation of the justice delivery system. He stressed that due importance must be given to the recording of evidence and adjudication of bail matters.
Highlighting the role of High Courts, he said their supervisory jurisdiction under Article 227 of the Constitution is intended as a shield to correct grave jurisdictional errors, not as a mechanism to substitute the discretion or factual appreciation of trial judges.
He recalled that several distinguished judges, including Justice H R Khanna, Justice A M Ahmadi, and Justice Fathima Beevi, began their careers in the district judiciary.
On representation within the judicial system, Justice Bhuyan noted that Telangana has made significant strides in gender inclusion. Out of a sanctioned strength of 655 judicial officers in the Telangana Judicial Service, 478 are currently serving, of whom 283 are women, exceeding 50 per cent representation. He added that members of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, minority communities, and persons with disabilities are also represented in the state’s judiciary.
He observed that greater representation of women, marginalised communities, persons with disabilities, and sexual minorities would help make the judiciary more inclusive and reflective of India’s diversity. “The judiciary must represent all the colours of the rainbow and become a rainbow institution,” he said.
Justice Bhuyan also referred to the recent restoration by the Supreme Court of the requirement of a minimum three years of practice at the Bar for entry-level judicial posts. While acknowledging that the requirement ensures practical exposure, he cautioned that its impact on women aspirants, especially those from rural or small-town backgrounds facing social and financial constraints, would need to be carefully observed over time.
Concluding his address, he reiterated that the justice system must strive to bridge the gap between constitutional ideals and lived realities, ensuring that the rule of law remains paramount.
