Indore water contamination: judicial probe panel seeks public evidence till 28 Feb

The judicial commission probing the deaths linked to contaminated drinking water in Indore on Monday issued a public notice inviting people to submit evidence, documents and other material related to the case by 28 February.

The commission, headed by former High Court judge Sushil Kumar Gupta, is examining the water contamination incident that occurred in Bhagirathpura in the last week of December.

Its mandate includes identifying the cause of contamination, assessing medical impacts and loss of life, fixing responsibility for any administrative lapses, and recommending corrective measures.

In an official release, authorities said affected residents of Bhagirathpura and adjoining areas and their families, public representatives, doctors, hospitals, social organisations, contractors, and government officials or employees — or any other persons with relevant information — may submit evidence and documents to the office of the Judicial Inquiry Commission by the stipulated date.

The commission said it would accept complaints related to drinking water contamination in Bhagirathpura, medical records of patients, death certificates, photographs and videos showing leaks in drinking water pipelines or sewage contamination, as well as tender documents for water supply projects, work orders and inspection reports.

The probe follows a vomiting and diarrhoea outbreak attributed to contaminated water supplies in Bhagirathpura, which led to multiple deaths. A committee of experts from Government Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Medical College had conducted a ‘death audit’ of the cases.

The state government submitted the committee’s report to the Indore bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court on 27 January. The report suggested that the deaths of 16 people in Bhagirathpura could be linked to the outbreak.

Officials said the judicial commission would examine all material received before finalising its findings and recommendations. The public notice aims to widen the evidentiary base of the inquiry as it continues its investigation into the incident.