Serbia’s post office has released a special stamp to honour the 75th anniversary of India’s Independence. In a tweet, Indian Embassy in Serbia stated that the special stamp was released in the presence of Serbian first Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic.
Indian Embassy in Serbia noted that the presence of Ivica Dacic underlined the “close relationship” between the two nations. Indian Embassy in Serbia tweeted, “Serbia Post released a special stamp today to honour the 75th Anniversary of our Independence #AzadiKaAmritMahotsav. The presence of the First Deputy PM and Foreign Minister of Serbia @MFASerbia underlined our close friendship @MEAIndia.”
It is pertinent to note here that the Indian government has launched the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav initiative to mark 75 years of independence and the glorious history of the nation’s people, culture and achievements. Notably, the official journey of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav began on March 12 which started a 75-week countdown to the 75th anniversary of independence and will end post a year on 15th August 2023.
Serbia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a tweet also announced publishing a special stamp to honour the 75th anniversary of India’s independence. Serbia’s Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic stressed that the two nations will mark 75 years of diplomatic relations in 2023.
Serbia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs tweeted, “The Post Office of #Serbia released a special stamp today to honour the 75th Anniversary of #India’s independence. DPM/FM #Dacic pointed out that next year Serbia and India celebrate 7[?]5 years of diplomatic relations, which are marked by traditional friendship.”
India and Serbia traditionally have “very good and friendly relations” based on close ties established when the Non-Aligned Movement was founded, Serbia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement. It stated that both nations have similar views on many international issues and a mutual interest in strengthening the political dialogue and improving cooperation in policy areas.
Bilateral economic cooperation between Serbia and India is currently carried out mostly through trade exchange, which is worth 216.56 million euros during 2021, with Serbian exports of 22.40 million euros and imports from India of 194.16 million euros, according to the Serbian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. From January to May 2022, Serbia exported merchandise to India worth 8.21 million euros, and imports from India to Serbia totalled 107.71 million euros.
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
After ‘Merry Christmas’ wishes, celebrating the new year has also turned out to be ‘Haraam’. The President of the Islamist organisation Raza Academy has appealed to Muslim youths to avoid hosting or attending New Year’s parties as they are Haraam or against the principles of Islam. He also claimed that the “lewd activities” done in 31st-night parties can put even “Satan to shame”.
In a video message tweeted from the official Twitter handle of Raza Academy, their president Saeed Noori said, “It is regrettable that the 31st night, commonly known as the last night of the year, is the height of shamelessness. I wonder which particular indecent act is not carried out in the guise of celebration at such parties. Such lewd deeds can even put Satan to shame. Such Haraam practices are carried out by people of all faiths and castes and Muslim youths in particular take a keen interest in such Haraam activities.”
Noori went on to urge Muslim parents to ‘rescue’ their children from such shamelessness and stop them from attending such parties.
“We still have time to protect our children from such immorality and shamelessness, and we should stop them from attending such celebrations”, Noori added.
Muslim naujawan 31st Night ke khurafat se mafooz raheiñ Raza Academy ki appeal.
مسلم نوجوان تھرٹی فرسٹ نائٹ کے خرافات سے محفوظ رہیں رضا اکیڈمی کی اپیل.
In another tweet, the Islamist organisation appealed to Muslims to organise prayers and religious events instead of indulging in obscene acts in the name of New Year celebrations.
“Organize Azaan, Ayat-e-Karima reciting and Mehfil-e-Milad on 31st December. Obscene acts performed in the guise of celebration on December 31st are illicit and haram,” the tweet posted by the Academy read.
31 December ko Azaan, Aayat e Karima aur Mehfil e Milaad ka ineqaad kareiñ.
Founded in 1978, Raza Academy has its office in Mumbai. The Islamic outfit was founded to propagate the works of 20th-century Sunni leader Ahmed Raza Khan.
Interestingly, the president of the Islamist outfit, Muhammed Saeed Noori has not received any formal Islamic education.
Raza Academy was also involved in the desecration of the Amar Jawan Jyoti memorial in 2012 during a protest staged by the outfit against the alleged atrocities on Muslims in Myanmar. The violent protestors had even attacked the police officers leaving several injured and public property worth crores was damaged.
In July 2020, Raza Academy compelled the Maha Vikas Aghadi government to write to the Centre, seeking a ban on the online streaming of the Iranian movie ‘Muhammad: The Messenger of God.‘ The film was originally released in Iran in 2015. The outfit had alleged that the film was ‘blasphemous’.
The Maharashtra Police booked five persons including a woman for abusing a 27-year-old woman and gang-raping her in the Bhingaar area of Ahmednagar district. The five accused are Shameen Gafoor Sheikh, Imran Sheikh, Shahanur Sheikh, Akbar Sheikh, and Basheer Khan. The woman named Shameen held the victim down while the other four took turns gang-raping her. All five accused have been booked by the Police under IPC sections 376 (d), 376 (b), 323, 504, 506, and 34.
According to the reports, the incident is said to have happened in the Bhingar area of Ahmednagar district on December 24. The accused arrived on a two-wheeler and an autorickshaw, and physically assaulted the woman. After that, the accused woman Shameen Sheikh alias Shabnam held her hands and allowed the other four accused to gang rape the woman. Imran, Shahnu, Akbar and Bashir raped her one after another.
Shameen Gafoor Sheikh is a resident of Ambika Nagar, Kedgao while Imran, Shahanur, Akhbar, and Basheer are residents of Mukundnagar, Bara Imam Kotla, Jhendigate, and Link Road, Kotla respectively. The accused had followed the victim woman on a two-wheeler and in an auto-rickshaw owned by Akhbar before assaulting and gang-raping her/
The victim filed a complaint with the police after the incident. The police registered a case based on the complaint and the woman has been admitted to the hospital for treatment. The police said that a search for the accused is going on. The police also informed that other crimes are already registered against the accused persons.
Earlier, a similar case was reported from Mumbai, Maharashtra. The State Police had arrested one named Insan Husain Shaik for sexually assaulting his minor daughter and impregnating her. The accused was 42 years old and he had been brutally raping his 16-year-old daughter several times. The incident came to the fore when the victim was found pregnant. The accused was arrested by the Police under sections 376, 376 (n) of the IPC and POCSO Act.
Also, a minor girl was raped several times by the accused identified as Ajmoddin Mohammed Sheikh in Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra. The accused had trapped the girl into a love affair and had raped her brutally. The Police had then booked the accused under IPC sections 376 (2) (n), 506 and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POSCO) sections 5 (j) (2), 5 (l), and 6.
Mukesh and Nita Ambani’s youngest son Anant Ambani will soon marry Shaila and Viren Merchant’s daughter Radhika Merchant. The Roka ceremony of the would-be couple was held on December 29 at the Shrinathji Temple in Nathdwara, Rajasthan.
Parimal Nathwani, Director-Corporate Affairs (RIL), congratulated the couple on the occasion and said, “Heartiest congratulations to dearest Anant and Radhika for their Roka ceremony at the Shrinathji temple in Nathdwara. May Lord Shrinath ji’s blessings be with you always.”
Heartiest congratulations to dearest Anant and Radhika for their Roka ceremony at the Shrinathji temple in Nathdwara. May Lord Shrinath ji’s blessings be with you always. #AnantAmbanipic.twitter.com/BmgKDFsPYh
Following the ceremony, the would-be couple participated in rajbhog-shringar ceremonies at the temple. The duo has known each other for a few years and will soon be married.
Anant is the youngest child of business tycoon Mukesh Ambani. He graduated from Brown University and currently leads the energy business at Reliance Industries Limited. He also serves as a Director on the Boards of Jio Platforms and Reliance Retail Ventures.
On the other hand, Radhika is a graduate of New York University and is currently working as a Director on the Board of Encore Healthcare.
In 2017, Radhika completed her graduation and joined Isprava Group, a luxury holiday home developer. Later, she joined the family business and became a director at Encore Healthcare. She is a trained Bharatnatyam Dancer and took training from Guru Bhavana Thakar. Earlier this year, Ambanis organised her Arangetram ceremony at the Jio World Centre in Mumbai, which was attended by Aamir Khan, Sagarika Ghatge, Ranveer Singh, Salman Khan among others.
On Thursday, December 29, a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the hospital where his mother Heeraben Modi is admitted, the Gujarat government said that Heeraben is “recovering well” and will be discharged in a day or two. The doctors will decide about the discharge after her CT Scan and MRI test reports are out.
A communication issued by the Gujarat Chief Minister’s Office read, “Heeraba’s health is good. Her health is improving speedily. She’ll probably be discharged in a day or two. Earlier tonight, the oral diet was started.”
Notably, Heeraben Modi was hospitalised on Tuesday at the UN Mehta Institute of Cardiology & Research Centre in Ahmedabad after her health deteriorated. The hospital today published a health update, saying that ‘Smt. Hiraba Modi’s health condition is recovering’.
Health update issued by the hospital
U N Mehta Institute of Cardiology & Research Centre is a government-funded autonomous Super-Speciality Cardiac Teaching hospital located on the campus of the civil Hospital. It is the biggest single Super-Speciality Cardiac Teaching hospital in the Country, and one of the biggest in the world. Promoted by the Gujarat government, it is affiliated with the BJ Medical College, Civil Hospital Campus, Asarwa, Ahmedabad, a government medical college.
PM Modi’s elder brother Somabhai Modi also said on Thursday that their mother’s health condition has improved. He added that she had liquid food in the morning, and is showing signs of recovery. “Her condition is gradually improving. She is much better today, she moved her arms and legs,” Somabhai Modi told the media.
“She even asked us, through a sign, to put her in a sitting position and also took liquid food given by the hospital. The decision about her discharge will be taken by doctors after conducting her CT Scan and MRI today,” he further said.
Hiraben Modi resides with her youngest son Pankaj Modi, a retired government official, at Raysan village near the Gandhinagar city of Gujarat.
Other than PM Modi, CM Bhupendra Patel and several ministers and MLAs including Health Minister Rushikesh Patel, Women and Child Development Minister Bhanuben Babariya, and MPs Parbatbhai Patel and Jugalji Thakor, MLAs Darshanaben Vaghela and Kaushik Jain have visited the hospital.
On December 29, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh published a tweet spreading misinformation about India-made cough syrups. In his tweet, he claimed that cough syrup made in India was linked to the deaths of around 70 kids in Gambia, and now 18 children have died in Uzbekistan because of a cough syrup made in India.
Jairam Ramesh targeted India for the unfortunate deaths of 18 children in Uzbekistan. Source: Twitter
He said, “Made-in-India cough syrups seem to be deadly. First, it was the deaths of 70 kids in Gambia, and now it is that of 18 children in Uzbekistan. Modi Sarkar must stop boasting about India being a pharmacy to the world and take the strictest action.” Notably, the reports about the death of children in Gambia being linked to medicine manufactured in India have already been debunked.
‘While hating Modi, you have started hating the country’ – Netizens react
Soon after Ramesh’s tweet, netizens called him out for hating India on the pretext of targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi. BJP’s national spokesperson Sambit Patra said, “The Gambian authorities and as well as DCGI have already clarified that the death of children in Gambia has nothing to do with the ‘Made in India’ cough syrup but in the garb of hating Modi, Congress always ends up manifesting its deep-rooted hatred for India.”
The Gambian authorities and as well as DCGI have already clarified that the death of children in Gambia has nothing to do with the ‘Made in India’ cough syrup but in the garb of hating Modi, Congress always ends up manifesting its deep rooted hatred for India. https://t.co/NKZg39zKKw
Twitter user Rahul Raj (bhak_sala) said, “If you wonder why India became a trading hub entirely dependent on China, research how politicians of India killed innovation and manufacturing in India for petty political gains and money.”
If you wonder why India became a trading hub entirely dependent on China, research how politicians of India killed innovation and manufacturing in India for petty political gains and money. https://t.co/CXqu8TGFCL
Banker Chetan Bragta said, “Congress leader Jairam Ramesh in his hatred has forgotten that he is also a citizen of this India. They should not make such allegations without any proof. It is a matter of great shame that he is questioning the reputation of the country he lives in.
Congress leader @Jairam_Ramesh in his hatred has forgotten that he is also a citizen of this India. They should not make such allegations without any proof. It is a matter of great shame that he is questioning the reputation of the country he lives in. https://t.co/FYgSX2bI2m
Around 21 children in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, were reported to have fallen sick after taking a medicine called Dok-1 Max, a cough syrup of Indian origin. 18 of these 21 children died while getting treatment in the hospital, following the reports that children fell sick after taking Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Health issued an advisory to immediately stop the medicine sale in the country.
In a letter shared by Twitter user Abbos Kh, the Ministry of Health was informed about the incident on December 15 by the administration of Children’s Multidisciplinary Medical Centre, Samarkand. The letter noted that children took Dok-1 Max medicine during the treatment of viral disease, a popular medicine among primary care doctors. (OpIndia used Google Translator and Google Lens for the translation of the letter.)
It further noted that the medicine might cause severe side effects, including kidney damage. In two months, 21 patients were admitted to the hospital, out of which 17 had severe side effects, and 15 died. The letter further urged the Ministry to prohibit the said medicine among children.
On December 22, a press release was issued on the official Telegram Channel of Uzbekistan’s Health Ministry informing about the side effects of the medicine. Pharmaceutical Network Development Agency said in the statement that a team of experts was formed to examine the medicine Dok-1 Max manufactured by India’s Marion Biotech Pvt Ltd. The sale of the medicine was temporarily suspended till further notice. (OpIndia used Google Translator and Google Lens for the translation of the press release.)
December 22 press release. Source: Telegram
On December 27, Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Health issued a press release saying that the results of Dok-1 Max syrup confirmed the crime and that the results were sent to law enforcement agencies. As per the press release, Marion Biotech Pvt Ltd’s Dok-1 Max tablets and syrup were registered in the country in 2012. The drug was imported to Uzbekistan by Kiramax Medical LLC. (OpIndia used Google Translator and Google Lens for the translation of the press release.)
December 27 press release. Source: Telegram
After the death of 18 out of 21 children who reportedly got sick with acute respiratory diseases, a probe was initiated. During the investigation, the Ministry’s officials found that the children took medicine for 2-7 days up to 2.5-5 millilitres 3-4 times a day. The dose taken by the children was much more than normally prescribed for the children.
Furthermore, the medicine was taken without a doctor’s prescription. The main ingredient of the medicine is paracetamol, which confused the parents, and they used it incorrectly as an anti-cold medicine independently or on the recommendation of the pharmacists. “This caused the condition of patients to worsen,” the Ministry added.
The laboratory also found traces of ethylene glycol, a contaminant, in the syrup, which is a toxic substance, and 1-2 ml of a 95% concentration can cause severe damage to the patient’s health. Side effects of the contaminant include vomiting, lethargy, seizures, cardiovascular problems and acute kidney failure.
The Ministry took action against seven employees. A number of specialists were disciplined for their carelessness and inattention to their duties as they failed to analyse deaths on time and did not take necessary actions. The medicine was withdrawn from sale across the country. The Ministry further urged the parents not to give medicine to children without a prescription from a doctor.
On the same day, the Minister of Health, B. Musaev, expressed his condolences to the parents and relatives of 18 children who died. He also assured that the culprits involved in the case would be held accountable.
Statement by Health Minister. Source: Telegram
India’s action in the Uzbekistan case
Soon after the authorities in India were informed about the incident, an inquiry into the Noida-based drug manufacturer was initiated. Hindustan Times quoted an unnamed official from the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) saying that the Drugs Controller of India and the Uzbek regulator are in contact. The information was being shared related to the matter. “Drugs Controller General of India is in contact with the Uzbek regulator to obtain detailed information. This company, it seems, has been supplying drugs to Uzbekistan for a long period of time,” he said.
On Tuesday, the Union Drug Regulatory informed the Uttar Pradesh Drug Licensing Authority to initiate an inquiry. Samples were taken from the factory by the north zone drug regulatory team of the central government and state drug regulatory teams. AK Jain, Deputy Commissioner, DCLA UP, said, “As soon as we received an email from the central drugs regulatory team that an inquiry needed to be conducted today, we immediately formed an investigating team comprising the assistant commissioner of drugs (Meerut division) and drug inspector from Gautam Buddh Nagar (Uttar Pradesh) to join the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (north zone) to investigate the allegations.”
Quoting Central Drugs Controller’s officers, HT noted that the samples were taken from the exported and current batches of the medicine and sent to a laboratory for testing. The action will be taken as per the report. Furthermore, another officer told HT that the company’s representatives were questioned about the raw material for the medicine. The officer added, “The tests of Maiden samples conducted in India did not find anything concrete; therefore, it will not be prudent to make any comments at this stage on Marion’s samples. Let’s wait for the test report.”
In a statement, Marion Biotech Pharma Company legal head Hasan Raza told ANI, “We regret deaths, the government is conducting the inquiry. We will take action as per the report. Samples were collected. Manufacturing of that product has been halted as of now and other processes are underway.”
On December 29, Dr Mansukh Mandaviya, Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, said, “Regarding reports from Uzbekistan concerning contaminated cough syrup made by Indian company Marion Biotech, Noida, Uttar Pradesh, the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) under the Ministry of Health & FW, Govt of India is in regular contact with the national drug regulator of Uzbekistan since 27th December.”
The samples of the cough syrup have been taken from the manufacturing premises and sent to Regional Drugs Testing Laboratory, Chandigarh for testing. (3/3)
He added, “Immediately on receipt of the information, a joint inspection of Marion Biotech’s Noida facility was carried out by UP Drug Control and the CDSCO team. Further action as appropriate would be initiated based on the inspection report. The samples of the cough syrup have been taken from the manufacturing premises and sent to Regional Drugs Testing Laboratory, Chandigarh for testing.”
Immediately on receipt of the information, a joint inspection of Marion Biotech’s Noida facility was carried out by UP Drug Control and the CDSCO team. Further action as appropriate would be initiated based on the inspection report. (2/3)
There are two aspects of the report. The first ethylene glycol was present in the medicine. Secondly, it was noted by Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Health that high doses of the medicine were given to the children without a valid prescription from a doctor. As the probe into the matter is underway, it will be too soon to assert and blame the Indian drug fully for the unfortunate incident.
The case of children’s death in Gambia
On December 16, it was reported that India’s Drugs Controller General Dr VG Somani wrote a letter to Dr Rogerio Gaspar, Director of Regulation and Prequalification at the World Health Organization. In this letter, Somani asserted that the Indian cough syrups from Maiden Pharma meet the necessary regulatory standards and are, therefore, harmless.
He added that the WHO’s statement blaming Indian cough syrups for the deaths of children in Gambia had impacted India’s image in the world adversely. Somani’s letter was written in response to the WHO’s letter dated December 6 2022. Notably, the WHO blamed India’s Maiden pharmaceuticals for the deaths of children in the Gambia in October. In October 2022, the WHO feared the children died from the company’s cough syrup.
On Wednesday, October 12 2022, the Central Government constituted a four-member expert committee to probe the World Health Organization (WHO) reports on the deaths of 66 children in the Gambia, which was hastily blamed on cough syrups made by Sonipat-based firm Maiden Pharmaceuticals Limited. According to an order from the Haryana government, Maiden Pharmaceuticals Limited’s firm in Sonipat was instructed to cease producing all cough syrups. A show-cause notice for 12 irregularities discovered at the company’s production facility was also issued. The letter written by Dr VG Somani also informs the WHO director about this.
In November this year, an Economic Times report stated that the specialised agency of the United Nations (UN) has failed to provide the documents to the Indian authorities, which are required to further the investigation into the deaths of 70 deceased children in Gambia.
“The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation(CDSCO), the drug regulator in India, has written thrice to the World Health Organisation but to no avail. So far, it has received no response from WHO,” the report added.
China becomes ‘black market’ for Indian Covid drugs
As per the Hindustan Times report, the Chinese pharmaceutical market has become a ‘black market’ for Indian generic Covid drugs. While the Chinese government has approved two antiviral drugs, Pfizer’s Paxlovid and Azvudine (HIV drug by Genuine Biotech of China), the medicines are only available in selected hospitals. China is currently facing an unprecedented surge in Covid-19 cases. As per WHO, 159,232 new cases were reported by the Chinese government in the last seven days. 472 people have lost their lives in the last week due to complications associated with Covid-19.
The residents of China have turned their hope towards Indian generic Covid drugs. However, they are being obtained via illegal channel. Indian drugs like Primovir, Paxista, Molnunat and Molnatris have entered the Chinese market via illegal channels and are available on Weibo. However, as they are not approved by the Chinese government, selling them is a punishable offence.
HT quoted Sahil Munjal, chairman of the Pharmaceuticals Export Promotion Council of India (Pharmexcil), who told Reuters that Indian companies were getting quote requests for ibuprofen and paracetamol. If required, the production of these drugs will be stepped up to meet the Chinese market requirements.
Bigg Boss OTT fame actor Uorfi Javed, on Thursday came out in support of Sheezan Khan who is the accused in the death case of Tunisha Sharma.
Taking to Instagram, Uorfi shared a note on her stories and wrote, “My 2 cents on Tunisha’s case yes he might be wrong, he might have cheated on her but we cannot blame him for her death. You absolutely cannot make someone stay with you who doesn’t want to stay. Girls no one I REPEAT NO ONE, is worth giving up your precious life for. Sometimes it might just seem like the end of the world but trust me it’s not. Think about the people who love you or just try loving yourself a bit harder. Be your own hero. Please give time some time. Even after the suicide the suffering doesn’t end, the ones that are left behind suffer even more.”
Tunisha was found dead on the sets of her ongoing TV show ‘Alibaba – Dastaan-e-Kabul’ on December 24. A day later, her ex-boyfriend and co-star from the show, Sheezan Khan was arrested on charges of abetment to suicide.
On Tuesday, Waliv Police said that Khan repeatedly keeps changing his statements and has not yet given any clear reason why he broke up with his ‘Ali Baba Dastaan-E-Kabul’ co-star.
The deceased actor’s mother has claimed that Sheezan was cheating on Tunisha. On the basis of the statement of Tunisha’s mother, an FIR was registered and the actor was arrested. According to the police, Sheezan broke down during interrogation in front of a woman officer.
“When the woman police officer of Waliv police station reached to interrogate the accused, he started crying. For two consecutive days, he kept on narrating different theories for breaking up with Tunisha but when a woman officer questioned him, he started crying,” an official said.
According to the officer, the actor did not open up and it was difficult to guess his emotions by looking at his body language till yesterday, but last night he started crying during interrogation. No suicide note was recovered at the spot by police.
On Tuesday, fans, family, and members of the television and film industry bid a teary farewell to 20-year-old Tunisha at the Mira Road crematorium ground in Mumbai. Celebrities including Vishal Jethwa, Ashnoor Kaur, Avneet Kaur, and Shivin Narang among others attended Tunisha’s funeral.
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
On December 27, Uzbekistan Health Ministry issued a press release stating that the children who died after taking India-made cough syrup were given the medicine without a doctor’s prescription.
In the statement, the Ministry said, “The medicine was taken without a doctor’s prescription. The main ingredient of the medicine is paracetamol, which confused the parents, and they used it incorrectly as an anti-cold medicine independently or on the recommendation of the pharmacists. “This caused the condition of patients to worsen.”
Chronology of events and statements issued by Uzbekistan authorities
Around 21 children in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, were reported to have fallen sick after taking a medicine called Dok-1 Max, a cough syrup of Indian origin. 18 of these 21 children died while getting treatment in the hospital, following the reports that children fell sick after taking the said cough syrup. Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Health issued an advisory to immediately stop the sale of the medicine in the country.
In a letter shared by Twitter user Abbos Kh, the Ministry of Health was informed about the incident on December 15 by the administration of Children’s Multidisciplinary Medical Centre, Samarkand. The letter noted that children took Dok-1 Max medicine during the treatment of viral disease, a popular medicine among primary care doctors. (OpIndia used Google Translator and Google Lens for the translation of the letter.)
It further noted that the medicine might cause severe side effects, including kidney damage. In two months, 21 patients were admitted to the hospital, out of which 17 had severe side effects, and 15 died. The letter further urged the Ministry to prohibit the said medicine among children.
On December 22, a press release was issued on the official Telegram Channel of Uzbekistan’s Health Ministry informing about the side effects of the medicine. Pharmaceutical Network Development Agency said in the statement that a team of experts was formed to examine the medicine Dok-1 Max manufactured by India’s Marion Biotech Pvt Ltd. The sale of the medicine was temporarily suspended till further notice. (OpIndia used Google Translator and Google Lens for the translation of the press release.)
December 22 press release. Source: Telegram
On December 27, Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Health issued a press release saying that the results of Dok-1 Max syrup confirmed the crime and that the results were sent to law enforcement agencies. As per the press release, Marion Biotech Pvt Ltd’s Dok-1 Max tablets and syrup were registered in the country in 2012. The drug was imported to Uzbekistan by Kiramax Medical LLC. (OpIndia used Google Translator and Google Lens for the translation of the press release.)
December 27 press release. Source: Telegram
After the death of 18 out of 21 children who reportedly got sick with acute respiratory diseases, a probe was initiated. During the investigation, the Ministry’s officials found that the children took medicine for 2-7 days up to 2.5-5 millilitres 3-4 times a day. The dose taken by the children was much more than normally prescribed for the children.
Furthermore, the medicine was taken without a doctor’s prescription. The main ingredient of the medicine is paracetamol, which confused the parents, and they used it incorrectly as an anti-cold medicine independently or on the recommendation of the pharmacists. “This caused the condition of patients to worsen,” the Ministry added.
The laboratory also found traces of ethylene glycol, a contaminant, in the syrup, which is a toxic substance, and 1-2 ml of a 95% concentration can cause severe damage to the patient’s health. Side effects of the contaminant include vomiting, lethargy, seizures, cardiovascular problems and acute kidney failure.
The Ministry took action against seven employees. A number of specialists were disciplined for their carelessness and inattention to their duties as they failed to analyse deaths on time and did not take necessary actions. The medicine was withdrawn from sale across the country. The Ministry further urged the parents not to give medicine to children without a prescription from a doctor.
On the same day, the Minister of Health, B. Musaev, expressed his condolences to the parents and relatives of 18 children who died. He also assured that the culprits involved in the case would be held accountable.
Statement by Health Minister. Source: Telegram
India’s action in the Uzbekistan case
Soon after the authorities in India were informed about the incident, an inquiry into the Noida-based drug manufacturer was initiated. Hindustan Times quoted an unnamed official from the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) saying that the Drugs Controller of India and the Uzbek regulator are in contact. The information was being shared related to the matter. “Drugs Controller General of India is in contact with the Uzbek regulator to obtain detailed information. This company, it seems, has been supplying drugs to Uzbekistan for a long period of time,” he said.
On Tuesday, the Union Drug Regulatory informed the Uttar Pradesh Drug Licensing Authority to initiate an inquiry. Samples were taken from the factory by the north zone drug regulatory team of the central government and state drug regulatory teams. AK Jain, Deputy Commissioner, DCLA UP, said, “As soon as we received an email from the central drugs regulatory team that an inquiry needed to be conducted today, we immediately formed an investigating team comprising the assistant commissioner of drugs (Meerut division) and drug inspector from Gautam Buddh Nagar (Uttar Pradesh) to join the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (north zone) to investigate the allegations.”
Quoting Central Drugs Controller’s officers, HT noted that the samples were taken from the exported and current batches of the medicine and sent to a laboratory for testing. The action will be taken as per the report. Furthermore, another officer told HT that the company’s representatives were questioned about the raw material for the medicine. The officer added, “The tests of samples conducted in India did not find anything concrete; therefore, it will not be prudent to make any comments at this stage on Marion’s samples. Let’s wait for the test report.”
In a statement, Marion Biotech Pharma Company legal head Hasan Raza told ANI, “We regret deaths, the government is conducting the inquiry. We will take action as per the report. Samples were collected. Manufacturing of that product has been halted as of now and other processes are underway.”
There are two aspects of the report. The first ethylene glycol was present in the medicine. Secondly, it was noted by Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Health that high doses of the medicine were given to the children without a valid prescription from a doctor. As the probe into the matter is underway, it will be too soon to assert and blame the Indian drug fully for the unfortunate incident.
On Thursday, three leaders of the banned Islamist organisation Popular Front of India (PFI) went ‘missing’ from Pathanamthitta as the National Investigation Agency (NIA) carried out searches at 56 locations in Kerala linked to the PFI conspiracy case. The three PFI leaders are suspected to have fled from their residence upon arrival of the NIA teams in Pathanamthitta.
As per a report by Mathrubhumi, the 3 PFI leaders in the area left before the NIA raids, with one of them leaving just hours ahead of the NIA raid. The raids were conducted by NIA after intimating the local police. NIA will now probe the matter of the leaked information to PFI
As reported earlier, in a continued crackdown against the PFI, the NIA conducted searches at 56 locations in the state of Kerala. The searches are still going on at the premises and offices of several suspects having links with PFI, an organisation banned by the Ministry of Home Affairs in September this year with its associates, and affiliates for five years under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 by declaring it as an unlawful association.
The raids started early on Thursday in coordination with state police following specific inputs against PFI cadres who are accused of their involvement in several terrorist acts and the murder of several persons. The list of alleged PFI targets included Sanjith (Kerala, November 2021), V-Ramalingam (Tamil Nadu, 2019), Nandu (Kerala, 2021), Abhimanyu (Kerala, 2018), Bibin (Kerala, 2017), Sharath (Kamataka, 2017), R.Rudresh (Kamataka, 2016), Praveen Puyari (Karnataka, 2016), and Sasi Kumar (Tamil Nadu, 2016).
According to the reports, the searches are being held at the homes of the organisation’s second-level officials at Nedumangad, Thonnakkal, and Pallikkal in Thiruvananthapuram, and those who provided financial assistance to them.
The residence of Muhammad Rashid, the PFI’s state secretary, is also being searched in Pathanamthitta. The residence of Nizar, a member of the state committee, is also being raided. Apart from Nedumangad, Thonnakkal, and Pallikkal, searches are also being conducted in Kollam, Palakkad, Malappuram, and Kozhikode cities of the state.
The MHA had earlier said that the criminal activities and brutal murders have been carried out by the PFI cadres for the sole objective of “disturbing public peace and tranquillity and creating a reign of terror in the public mind”.
The MHA has also mentioned “international linkages of PFI with Global Terrorist Groups”, and that some activists of the outfit have joined the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and participated in terror activities in Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan. The current searches by NIA come months after the agency carried out searches at more than 150 locations across the country against PFI cadres. However, it is unclear whether anyone has been detained as a result of the raids.
Amidst the persistent atrocities against Hindus in Pakistan, yet another case of a gang rape brutal murder of a 42-year-old Hindu woman has come to the fore in the Sinjhoro district of Sindh. A Hindu woman named Diya Bheel, belonging to the Bheel community, was gang-raped, beheaded, and her breasts chopped off by unidentified persons. Before dumping her body in a wheat field, the perpetrators also de-skinned the deceased victim’s head.
Reportedly, a sharp weapon was used to cut the body parts of the Hindu woman. The skin and the flesh from the separated head were removed by the murderers, exposing the skull. They also removed the breasts and a large portion of flesh from the chest of the woman, exposing the ribs.
According to a report by My Sanghar, a local news channel, the police are investigating the matter and sniffer dogs have been deployed to find leads. Besides, the dead body of the victim has been sent for postmortem. Police have registered FIR, however, none of the accused has been identified or arrested so far.
The deceased victim Diya Bheel belonging to the Bheel tribe was a widow and had five children.
Taking to Twitter Pakistan-based journalist Veengas condemned the horrific incident and wrote, “I am devastated by getting details on the case. Three days ago, in Sanghar Diya, Bheel was decapitated by brutal murder after being raped. The police have not filed FIR, and no person in the Sindh govt or Human Rights orgs bother to speak about it. Hindus never matter to state.”
I am devastated by getting details on the case. Three days ago, in Sanghar Diya, Bheel was decapitated; brutal murder after being raped.
The police have not filed FIR, and no person in the Sindh govt or Human Rights orgs bother to speak about it.
As per media reports, locals of Sinjhoro have staged a protest seeking justice.
Krishna Kumari, a Senator from Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) visited Diya Bheel’s village in Sinjhoro.
Informing about the same she tweeted, “Daya Bhel 40 years widow brutally murdered and the body was found in very bad condition. Her head was separated from the body and the savages had removed flesh of the whole head. Visited her village Police teams from Sinjhoro and Shahpurchakar also reached.”
Daya Bhel 40 years widow brutally murdered and body was found in very bad condition. Her head was separated from the body and the savages had removed flesh of the whole head. Visited her village Police teams from Sinjhoro and Shahpurchakar also reached. pic.twitter.com/15bIb1NXhl
Hindus, a minority in the Islamic country of Pakistan, are frequently targeted with hatred, kidnappings, rapes, forced marriages, and death. In October this year, a Hindu woman Pakistan’s Punjab was stripped, raped, and tortured for asking for the payment of her daily wages.
