Court in Uzbekistan Hands Down Sentences Following Contaminated Cough Syrup Tragedy
In a landmark ruling on Monday, a court in Uzbekistan delivered verdicts for 23 individuals involved in the production and distribution of contaminated cough syrups, which resulted in the tragic deaths of 68 children. The tainted medicines were traced back to India’s Marion Biotech, and the trial spanned over six months.
While Uzbekistan had initially reported 65 fatalities connected to the illicit medicines, last month, prosecutors at the Tashkent city court revised the death toll and disclosed that two additional individuals were charged during the legal proceedings.
The defendants, encompassing one Indian national, faced a range of charges leading to prison terms varying from two to 20 years. Their convictions included offenses such as tax evasion, the sale of substandard or counterfeit medicines, abuse of office, negligence, forgery, and bribery.
Among the convicted individuals, Singh Raghvendra Pratar, an executive director of Quramax Medical, a company selling medicines manufactured by India’s Marion Biotech in Uzbekistan, received the longest sentence of 20 years.
Former high-ranking officials responsible for licensing imported medicines also received substantial prison terms.
The court further ruled that compensation totaling $80,000 (1 billion Uzbek sums) would be provided to each family of the 68 children who lost their lives due to the syrup. Additionally, four other children who suffered disabilities as a result of the contaminated drug would also receive the same compensation.
Parents of eight more children affected by the harmful drug would receive compensation ranging from $16,000 to $40,000. The funds for compensation are to be collected from seven of the convicted individuals, as stated in the Supreme Court’s official statement.