Karnataka HC Orders FIR Against Doctor Over Child’s Snake Bite Death

Karnataka: On Monday, August 24, the Karnataka High Court passed an order for the Channapatna Town police station to register an FIR against Dr. Ranjith, who injected a 4 and a half year old boy with a TT injection instead of an anti-venom injection for treating a snakebite, causing his death.

Sathvik was bitten by a cobra on his right toe twice on April 28. He was taken to Channapatna Government Hospital within 10 minutes of the incident by his uncle, C. Kushal, where Dr. Ranjith was treating him, and later he was declared dead at a private hospital in RR Nagar.

On April 30, the Channapatna Town police station registered an FIR stating his death as unnatural.

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According to reports by TNIE, Kushal said that the cobra bit the child at 5:50 pm and he reached the government hospital by 6:00 pm, where Dr. Ranjith gave Sathvik a TT injection instead of the Anti-Snake Venom injection, and asked him to take the child to another hospital.

Kushal said that the hospital didn't provide them with any ambulance and he had to book a private ambulance which took them to a private hospital in Bengaluru. He added that by the time they reached the second hospital, the poison had already spread.

​Upon reaching the private hospital, doctors read Sathvik’s government hospital treatment chart and informed Kushal that the child was administered a TT injection rather than an AVS injection, and he could have been saved if the correct injection was given on time.

​After there was no FIR registered against Dr. Ranjith for medical negligence,  Sathvik’s father, N Niranjan, approached the High Court.

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Sathvik’s father, N Niranjan, resides in Jhallhali. He filed the writ petition in june stating that the reason for Sathvik’s death was a case of medical negligence by Dr. Ranjith, who didn't give the child an AVS injection, even though it was available, and instead gave him a TT injection.

Within 60 days after hearing the case, the Karnataka High Court directed the police to register an FIR against Dr. Ranjith. On Monday, August 24, the Channapatna Town police registered an FIR by Sathvik's uncle, C. Kushal, against Dr. Ranjith.

​The FIR marks a significant step as police investigate the alleged medical negligence and circumstances surrounding Sathvik’s death following the snakebite.

(Rh/ARC)