Kolkata, Jan 13: Two separate public interest litigations (PILs) were filed at a division bench of the Calcutta High Court on Monday over the death of a pregnant woman at Medinipur Medical College and Hospital in West Midnapore district of West Bengal after allegedly being administered with expired Ringer’s Lactated (RL) saline.

The division bench of Calcutta High Court Chief Justice T.S. Sivagnanam and Justice Hiranmay Bhattacharya have admitted both petitions.

The PILs are slated for their first hearing on January 16. One of the two PILs has been filed by a senior advocate of Calcutta High Court Phiroze Edulji.

As per his petition, the same organisation whose saline administration resulted in deaths in Karnataka following which the entity was blacklisted by that state government had supplied these in West Bengal resulting in a death last week.

Hence, Edulji added that there is a requirement to file public interest litigation in the matter.

Last week, five pregnant women were crucially admitted at Medinipur Medical College and Hospital after allegedly being administered expired saline. One of them Mamoni Ruidas (25) died on Friday only. The remaining four were under treatment at the same hospital. Three of them have been shifted to state-run S.S.K.M. Medical College and Hospital in South Kolkata on Sunday night following sharp deterioration in their medical conditions.

The incident raised serious concerns, especially as the expired RL saline allegedly came from Paschal Bang Pharmaceutical Limited, a company earlier banned by the Karnataka government and later by the West Bengal government.

The state health department has formed a 13-member inquiry committee to investigate how expired saline was administered to these patients.

The probe committee is slated to submit its report on the matter on Monday and the same day it will be placed on the table of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

This incident has revived concerns over similar cases in the state’s healthcare system. Notably, in a recent case of financial irregularities at R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata, its former principal, Sandip Ghosh, was accused of encouraging the use of expired and ineffective drugs on patients for personal financial gains.

Veteran actor Tiku Talsania suffered a brain stroke on Friday (January 10), his family informed on Saturday. Hours after reports claiming he suffered a heart attack surfaced, his wife Deepti Talsania issued a clarification. The 70-year-old actor is admitted to Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital in Mumbai and is undergoing treatment.

Deepti said, “He suffered a brain stroke, not a heart attack. He had gone to attend a film screening and started feeling unwell around 8 pm. He was immediately admitted to the hospital.”

Talsania’s condition is said to be critical at the moment.

Talsania has been a part of over 200 films in his career. His daughter, Shikha Talsania, is also an actress.

In October 2024, he had said that he is ‘slightly jobless’ and is looking for work actively. In one of his interviews, he also stated that he is waiting for people to call him and offer good work.

The actor had told Indian Express that times have changed now and the right kind of roles are not coming his way. “Unless and until you become a part of the story, or you get to play a character of a person whose story is knitted with the story, you don’t get work. I am slightly jobless right now. I want to work, but the right kind of roles are not coming my way,” he reportedly said.

“If I am required to go for an audition, I go. Things have changed over a period of time, but one needs to be patient. Since Covid-19, working principle has been disrupted. Now people are becoming more sharper and progressive. It’s become beautiful and I like the way we have to approach work now. I am waiting for people to call me. Also, I am sending out feelers that I am an actor looking for work,” he said.

Some of his popular movies include Andaz Apna Apna, Main Prem Ki Diwani Hoon, Devdas, Coolie No. 1, Dhamaal, Partner, Phir Hera Pheri, Hungama, Raju Chacha, Hero No. 1 and others. He was last seen in Vicky Vidya Ka Woh Wala Video, starring RajKummar Rao and Triptii Dimri.

He has also worked in various television shows and has gained a reputation for his comic timing and ability to portray a wide range of characters.

Midnapore: A pregnant woman died on Friday at the Midnapore Medical College and Hospital in West Bengal’s Paschim Midnapore. The family members of the deceased raised serious concerns about the saline given to the woman. The deceased has been identified as Mamoni Das. Meanwhile, five others are critically ill. A 10-member enquiry committee was formed by the West Bengal Health Department.

The committee will reportedly visit the hospital on Saturday. The action was taken after the family of the deceased lodged a complaint with the police. Meanwhile, the health department directed the authorities to replace all the existing saline stock. A detailed report has also been sought from the principal of the medical college. The state health officials also demanded an explanation on reports of using expired saline.

The woman gave birth to a baby on Wednesday. She was shifted to the intensive care unit (ICU) after her condition deteriorated. Das breathed her last on Friday. She was 21 years old. The incident drew strong criticism from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the state.

The saffron party raised questions on the health facilities under the Mamata Banerjee government in the state. “Shame on the crumbling healthcare system in West Bengal under the disastrous regime of @MamataOfficial! A pregnant woman DIED after being given EXPIRED saline at a govt hospital in Midnapore, and several others now fight for their lives,” the BJP said in its official X post.

This is the price mothers pay under your so-called “development”? Your negligence has turned hospitals into death traps! West Bengal deserves accountability, not your hollow promises and PR stunts. How much more blood will stain your hands, @MamataOfficial?” it added.

The husband of a critically ill woman told the media house that Das stopped passing out urine after giving birth to the baby and was then shifted to the ICU. He alleged that the medical college staff gave the wrong saline.

A large police contingent has reportedly been deployed outside the hospital to avoid any untoward incident.