- Judicial commission linked 24 of 36 deaths to sewage-contaminated water in Bhagirathpura
- Report blames delays in pipeline replacement and tendering for the water contamination crisis
- Eight to ten officials were held responsible; senior officials and elected reps cleared of blame
Months after contaminated water turned Indore's Bhagirathpura into the epicentre of one of Madhya Pradesh's most disturbing urban health crises, findings emerging from a judicial inquiry have raised a larger question: who should ultimately be held responsible when a failure of basic civic infrastructure costs lives?
A one-member judicial commission headed by retired Madhya Pradesh High Court judge Justice Sushil Kumar Gupta has completed its investigation into the Bhagirathpura contaminated-water episode. The report was submitted to the Indore Bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court last week.
The report has not yet been released publicly. However, lawyers who have been permitted to inspect it have begun revealing key findings.
Of the 36 deaths examined by the commission, 24 have reportedly been directly linked to the consumption of sewage-contaminated water supplied through municipal pipelines. In the remaining 12 cases, the connection could not be conclusively established.
The inquiry has also reportedly identified a critical administrative failure -- delays in replacing an ageing water pipeline and in completing the tendering process for a new Narmada-water line.
Read: After 25 Deaths In Indore, 24 Fall Ill in Mhow After Drinking Toxic Water
The emerging findings point to a reported chain of administrative lapses preceding the crisis.
The commission is understood to have found that the replacement of the old pipeline was delayed and that the tender process for the new line also faced significant delays. Sewage subsequently contaminated drinking water supplied to homes in Bhagirathpura.
Lawyers familiar with the inquiry said the findings suggest that timely replacement of the pipeline could potentially have prevented the contamination and the resulting crisis.
Advocates representing the petitioners said the inquiry has fixed responsibility on around eight to 10 officials whose roles came under scrutiny. They also said some senior officials and elected representatives, including members of the Mayor-in-Council, were not found culpable.
Advocate Manish Yadav, who represents petitioners Mahesh Garg and Pramod Dwivedi, told NDTV that the inquiry report runs to approximately 600 pages, with a substantial portion devoted to findings and supporting material.
“I filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) on behalf of my petitioners, Mahesh Garg and Pramod Dwivedi, demanding action against the guilty and compensation for the victims. Justice Sushil Gupta has submitted a detailed report spanning approximately 600 pages to the High Court. It is reported that about 200 pages of the document are dedicated to the findings,” Yadav said.
Yadav said lawyers examined the report before the Registrar on Saturday.
“According to the revealed excerpts, approximately 8 to 10 officials have been held culpable. The incident occurred due to their irresponsible conduct, and the report addresses the fixing of accountability regarding their roles. The committee identified the officials' irresponsible attitude as a contributing factor to the incident,” he said.
He added that certain individuals had been given a clean chit during the inquiry.
“Recommendations have been made to increase compensation, along with suggestions to prevent such incidents in the future. It is a massive report,” Yadav said.
The emerging findings have also triggered a political response.
Madhya Pradesh Leader of the Opposition Umang Singhar has demanded that the complete judicial report be made public. He has also questioned why responsibility appears to have been fixed on officials but not elected representatives.
Singhar said the Congress would raise the Bhagirathpura issue in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly, arguing that elected representatives cannot distance themselves from accountability when the administrative machinery under their oversight fails.
The High Court ordered the judicial inquiry on January 27 following the contaminated-water crisis that began in late December 2025 and resulted in widespread illness and deaths in Bhagirathpura.
The court had asked the commission to examine not only the source of the contamination but also the actual death count, the adequacy of the medical and administrative response, preventive measures and the responsibility of officials.
