A criminal case is registered and the viscera report is awaited, but the Supreme Court has decided the Anti-Malaria Drive Death Probe needs judicial oversight, and has handed that task to the Andhra Pradesh High Court.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!
New Delhi: The Supreme Court has taken suo motu notice of the death of a seven-year-old girl and the hospitalisation of several villagers in Polavaram district of Andhra Pradesh after chloroquine tablets were administered during an anti-malaria campaign, and has transferred the proceedings to the Andhra Pradesh High Court with a request that its Chief Justice take up the matter on a priority basis [Nallapu Manideep v. Union of India and Another].
A Bench of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice V. Mohana passed the order in Writ Petition (Criminal) No. 386 of 2026. The record of proceedings is dated October 5, 2026.
Supervision, but not from Delhi
The Bench agreed that the matter needed supervision, and then said where that supervision should come from:
“It seems to us that the matter warrants judicial oversight until the ongoing investigation is taken to its logical conclusion. We are, however, of the view that High Court of Andhra Pradesh would be the appropriate forum to monitor the investigation and any consequential proceedings.”
A letter to the Chief Justice
The case began with a letter dated September 2, 2026, in which the petitioner, Nallapu Manideep, asked the Chief Justice of India to act suo motu. He cited a news report saying that around 52 residents of a village in Polavaram district fell ill and were admitted to hospital after being given anti-malaria tablets (chloroquine). According to the letter, one girl child died and 23 other children were shifted to Telangana for treatment. The Court recorded these as the averments in the letter.
Calling the concerns serious, the Bench observed that giving chloroquine tablets during an anti-malaria drive “may have allegedly led” to the girl’s death and the hospitalisation of several others. It then took suo motu notice.
What the State told the Court
Appearing for the State of Andhra Pradesh, Senior Advocate Sidharth Luthra said the authorities had already taken cognisance of the incident and a criminal case had been registered. The viscera report, he added, was still awaited.
The operative part
The proceedings stand transferred to the High Court of Andhra Pradesh, whose Chief Justice has been requested to take them up on a priority basis. The writ petition was disposed of along with any pending applications.
Where this leaves the facts
The order does not decide the cause of the death or fix responsibility on anyone. The cause of the girl’s death, and any liability, remain untested. The viscera report is awaited, the criminal case is at the investigation stage, and the Court has expressed no view on the merits. The presumption of innocence applies to anyone who may be named in the investigation.
Why the order matters
The Supreme Court acted on a letter, and did so within weeks of it being written, but chose not to run the supervision itself. Sending the monitoring to the Andhra Pradesh High Court keeps the oversight close to the investigating agency and the State, while the Chief Justice of India’s Bench stays free for other work.
For public health programmes, the order is a reminder that mass drug administration drives can end up under judicial watch when something goes wrong. What the High Court asks of the State, and how the viscera findings are used, will decide whether the probe answers the questions the letter raised.
Case Title: Nallapu Manideep v. Union of India and Another [Writ Petition (Criminal) No. 386 of 2026]
Bench: Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice V. Mohana, Supreme Court of India
Date of Order: October 5, 2026
Appearances: Senior Advocate Sidharth Luthra, Advocate-on-Record Guntur Pramod Kumar and Advocates Prerna Singh and Suhail Ahmed for the State of Andhra Pradesh and the Union (as recorded)
If a child you know needs help or protection, CHILDLINE 1098 is the national helpline for children.
![[RG Kar Rape-Murder] SC to Hear Ex-Principal Sandip Ghosh's Plea Today Against Cal HC Order on Financial Irregularities Case](https://i0.wp.com/lawchakra.in/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/RJYERB.jpg?resize=420%2C345&ssl=1)
