Beltangady: A complaint has been submitted to the Special Investigation Team (SIT) alleging that a group of individuals buried a dead body illegally in Ujire, Beltangady taluk. The complainant, Bhaskar Badakottu, claimed that although he had earlier approached the local police, no proper investigation was conducted into the matter.

According to SIT officials, the complaint has been received and will be examined. They stated that if the issue involves any criminal activity, the matter will be forwarded to the jurisdictional police station for further action.

The complaint mentions that a resident of Ujire village, Sompa alias Balakrishna Shetty, had gone missing and a report was filed on December 18, 2018. Around the same period, it was alleged that a dead body was discovered while cutting trees on government land at Billarodi, Ujire. The complaint further alleges that some people later buried the body at the same spot.

Though family members of the missing person were urged to file a complaint, they reportedly did not do so. Bhaskar Badakottu himself lodged a complaint with Beltangady police on December 8, 2018, naming suspects. Police did visit the spot, but the complainant alleges that the investigation was not pursued seriously due to pressure from certain quarters.

Since the missing person has not returned to date, the complaint now raises suspicion that the body of Sompa alias Balakrishna Shetty was illegally buried on government land by Mahesh Shetty Timarodi and others.

SIT has confirmed receiving the complaint and assured that necessary action will be taken as per law.

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Satna/Bhopal (PTI): Four children suffering from thalassemia have tested HIV positive at Satna District Hospital in Madhya Pradesh allegedly due to contaminated blood transfusions, officials said on Tuesday.

The case is four months old and an investigation is underway into it, an official said.

Officials suspect the use of contaminated needles or blood transfusions for the spread of infection to the children.

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MP Health Minister Rajendra Shukla told reporters in Bhopal that he has ordered a probe into the matter and sought a report.

“It is also being investigated whether the blood transfusion took place in other hospitals also or only in the government hospital,” he said.

The affected children, aged between 12 and 15 years, received blood transfusions from the hospital's blood bank, as per an official.

Devendra Patel, in-charge of the blood bank at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel District Hospital in Satna, said four children have tested HIV positive and an investigation is underway to determine how they got infected.

"Either an infected needle was used or a blood transfusion occurred. These are the two main reasons I believe. Blood transfusion seems to be the most likely cause," he told PTI Videos.

All these children suffer from thalassemia, and some have received 80 or 100 blood transfusions, he said.

A family member of one of the affected children said that their child was found to be HIV positive during a routine checkup about four months back, and he has been receiving medication, but it had proven to be of no use.

After taking the medication for HIV, the child starts vomiting, feels low and becomes ill, he said.

After the four children were detected with HIV infection, their family members were also tested and the results came out negative, he added.

The Opposition Congress targeted the government over the matter and demanded the resignation of Health Minister Shukla.

Speaking to reporters in Bhopal, Congress MLA and former minister Sachin Yadav claimed such incidents were continuously occurring in Madhya Pradesh.

Earlier, a case of toxic cough syrup came to light in Chhindwara, followed by incidents of rat bites at hospitals in Indore and Satna, and now children have been given HIV-infected blood, he said.

"The health minister is unable to manage the department. He should resign. A murder case should be filed against those responsible for the Satna incident," Yadav said.

Senior Congress leader Sajjan Singh Verma termed it a failure of the government. Chief Minister Mohan Yadav's government has no connection with ground realities, he charged.

"Somewhere rats are roaming in hospitals, somewhere children are being given HIV-infected blood. Instead of preventing HIV, you are spreading it. Mohan Yadav should wake up from his slumber. Children are the nation's heritage and should be taken care of," he added.