The Bombay High Court has expressed deep anguish over the continuing deaths of infants due to malnutrition in Melghat’s tribal belt and pulled up the Maharashtra government for its failure to implement previous directions. In a detailed order, passed on Tuesday (November 18, 2025) and made available on Thursday (November 20, 2025), the court directed the State to file affidavits from Principal Secretaries of key departments within a week and asked senior officials to appear before it via video conference on the next hearing.
The Division Bench of Justices Revati Mohite Dere and Sandesh D. Patil was hearing a public interest litigation filed in 2007 by Rajendra Sadanand Burma and another petitioner. The matter was urgently circulated after the petitioners informed the court that “about 65 children between 0-6 months from June, 2025 till date, have died due to malnutrition.”
The judges noted that despite an earlier order dated July 29, 2025, directing parties to submit a joint report on steps to tackle malnutrition, “the same has not been done till today.”
The Bench observed, “Considering what is stated in the affidavit, we find that the State Government has a lot to put in place. We, therefore, direct the State Government to file affidavits of the respective departments within one week from today. The affidavits to be filed by the respective Principal Secretaries of the concerned Departments.”
