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To
Hon’ble Justice V. Ramasubramanian Jee
Chairperson
National Human Rights Commission of India (NHRC)
New Delhi

From:
Lenin Raghuvanshi
Human Rights Defender / Social Activist
Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh
Mobile: 9935599333
Email: lenin@pvchr.asia

Date: 11 September 2026

Subject: URGENT COMPLAINT regarding reported deaths of Baiga tribal children in Balaghat, Madhya Pradesh, and alleged systemic failure in nutrition, healthcare, disease prevention and timely medical intervention – request for immediate NHRC intervention and independent investigation

Respected Hon’ble Chairperson Sir,

I respectfully submit this urgent complaint before the Hon’ble National Human Rights Commission concerning the reported deaths of a large number of children, predominantly belonging to the Baiga tribal community of Balaghat district, Madhya Pradesh, amid reports of malnutrition, malaria, measles and other infections, inadequate healthcare facilities, delayed medical intervention and serious deficiencies in preventive health and nutrition services.

The matter concerns the fundamental right to life, dignity, health and protection of children belonging to a particularly vulnerable tribal community.

The complaint is based upon a detailed ground report published by Follow Up Stories, titled:

“बालाघाट: ‘नक्सलमुक्त’ जिले में मलेरिया से मर रहे कुपोषित बच्चों का जिम्मेदार कौन?”

The complete report is available at:

Follow Up Stories – Balaghat ground report

The report documents the chronology of the crisis and raises serious questions regarding the response of public authorities.

1. Early warning signs

According to the report, concerns regarding the health and nutritional condition of tribal children had emerged as early as December 2025. Children were reportedly visibly underweight and under-height and had skin lesions.

Local journalists reportedly brought the matter to the notice of the District Collector, following which health camps were organised. However, according to the report, these interventions continued only for a limited period, and sustained attention allegedly did not follow until deaths began occurring in June 2026.

This raises an urgent question for the NHRC:

If early warning signs existed several months before the deaths, why was sustained preventive intervention not undertaken?

I request the Commission to independently verify the relevant government records.

2. Deaths began in June 2026

The report states that the first reported death occurred on 16 June 2026, when 16-year-old Rupalal Dhurve died in Bondari village.

It subsequently records the deaths of 14-year-old Lamnin and four-year-old Sahil.

The report states that the family initially sought traditional treatment and subsequently took the children to a healthcare facility approximately 15 kilometres away, where they reportedly received basic treatment before being taken home. The children subsequently died.

These circumstances require investigation into the availability of timely diagnosis, medicines, emergency transport and referral facilities.

3. Spread of illness

The report states that the affected area initially included Kundekasa, Bondari and Korka villages under Adori Gram Panchayat.

The seriousness of the situation reportedly became apparent only after the village sarpanch informed the local administration. A temporary hospital subsequently had to be established in Kundekasa.

By 10 August 2026, the officially acknowledged number of deaths was reportedly six, although illness had allegedly spread to numerous additional villages.

4. Serious discrepancy regarding deaths

The report records that Congress MLA Sanjay Uikey publicly referred to 19 deaths, following which questions arose concerning the official figures.

The report subsequently refers to more than two dozen deaths, while the tribal community’s protest referred to 29 deaths.

This discrepancy is itself a matter requiring immediate independent investigation.

I respectfully request NHRC to establish the actual number of children who died, preferably through a village-wise and child-wise verification of official and community records.

5. Malnutrition and nutrition programmes

The report states that approximately one in six children in the Baiga region of Balaghat is malnourished, resulting in weakened immunity.

The report also raises serious allegations concerning the Take Home Ration (THR) system. It records allegations that nutrition supplied before April was inadequate and that THR was subsequently stopped, while Women and Child Development records reportedly showed full attendance and distribution of nutrition.

This contradiction requires an independent social audit and physical verification.

The Commission may kindly determine whether nutrition recorded in official registers actually reached the children concerned.

6. Malaria prevention

The report records a serious contradiction concerning malaria mortality.

According to the report, the malaria officer stated that there had been no malaria deaths, whereas government records reportedly contained deaths attributed to malaria. The report also raises questions concerning changes in recorded malaria prevalence.

It further alleges that high-risk malaria areas did not receive adequate chemical spraying or medicated mosquito nets.

These allegations require independent verification by NHRC.

7. Measles and vaccination

The report states that official survey figures indicated high vaccination coverage while measles nevertheless appeared among children in the affected areas.

This raises questions regarding actual vaccination coverage, individual vaccination records, disease surveillance and access to vaccination among remote tribal communities.

I request NHRC to order child-wise verification of vaccination records against the children actually residing in the affected villages.

8. Inadequate healthcare infrastructure

The report states that affected villages face deficiencies in roads, water and healthcare facilities and that many primary health centres allegedly lack doctors. It also raises concerns regarding availability of ANMs and nurses.

Such circumstances are particularly serious when the affected population is geographically isolated and medically vulnerable.

9. Delayed referral and access to treatment

The report describes the case of a child named Sachin, who was taken successively to different healthcare facilities and ultimately to a private hospital in Gondia, Maharashtra, where he died.

I request the NHRC to independently examine whether the referral process, ambulance services and emergency medical facilities were adequate to ensure timely treatment.

10. Multiple factors contributing to deaths

I respectfully do not seek to prejudge the precise medical cause of each individual death.

The published report refers to malaria, measles and malnutrition, while subsequent reporting has indicated multiple clinical conditions among affected children.

The proper question for the NHRC is therefore:

Whether deaths that occurred in these vulnerable communities could have been prevented through timely nutrition, disease surveillance, vaccination, diagnosis, treatment and referral.

GROUNDS FOR NHRC INTERVENTION

The circumstances described above warrant urgent intervention because they concern:

Deaths of children belonging to a vulnerable tribal community.
Alleged widespread malnutrition.
Infectious disease affecting multiple villages.
Reported deficiencies in healthcare infrastructure.
Alleged delays in diagnosis and treatment.
Questions concerning malaria prevention.
Questions concerning measles vaccination.
Questions concerning nutrition delivery.
Significant discrepancies concerning the number of deaths.
Allegations of failure to respond adequately to early warning signs.
Continuing risk to surviving children.

PRAYER

In these circumstances, I respectfully request the Hon’ble National Human Rights Commission to:

A. Take urgent cognizance

Kindly take immediate cognizance of the reported deaths of Baiga tribal children in Balaghat.

B. Order an independent investigation

Direct the NHRC Investigation Division or an independent multidisciplinary team to conduct an on-site investigation in the affected villages.

C. Establish the actual number of deaths

Prepare a village-wise and child-wise list of all deaths since June 2026 and reconcile official figures with hospital, Panchayat, community and other records.

D. Investigate each death

Examine:

medical records;
death certificates;
laboratory reports;
hospital records;
referral records;
ambulance records;
vaccination records;
nutrition records; and
post-mortem reports wherever available.

E. Investigate early warning signs

Determine what information was available to district and health authorities from December 2025 onwards and whether appropriate preventive action was taken.

F. Investigate malnutrition

Conduct an independent nutritional assessment of children in all affected villages.

G. Audit nutrition programmes

Conduct a social audit of Anganwadi services and Take Home Ration distribution for the preceding two years.

H. Investigate malaria control

Verify malaria surveillance, testing, treatment, insecticide spraying and distribution of medicated mosquito nets.

I. Investigate vaccination

Verify individual vaccination records, particularly measles vaccination, against children actually residing in the affected villages.

J. Examine healthcare facilities

Conduct physical inspection of PHCs, CHCs and other health facilities serving the affected villages, including staffing, medicines, diagnostics and emergency facilities.

K. Examine referral and ambulance systems

Determine whether critically ill children received timely transportation and referral to appropriate hospitals.

L. Protect surviving children

Direct immediate door-to-door medical screening of all children in the affected villages and ensure treatment of malnutrition, malaria, measles and other identified conditions.

M. Ensure safe drinking water

Direct immediate assessment and provision of safe drinking water in affected habitations.

N. Fix accountability

Where negligence, dereliction of duty, failure of supervision, suppression/inaccurate reporting or other culpable conduct is established, recommend appropriate disciplinary, administrative and criminal action in accordance with law.

O. Provide interim relief

Recommend adequate interim compensation and rehabilitation for families of deceased children, without treating compensation as a substitute for accountability.

P. Protect complainants and witnesses

Ensure that tribal families, community representatives, journalists and human-rights defenders who have raised the issue are not subjected to intimidation or retaliation.

Q. Seek a time-bound Action Taken Report

Call for a detailed, time-bound Action Taken Report from the Government of Madhya Pradesh, including village-wise information regarding deaths, illnesses, nutrition, vaccination, treatment and preventive measures.

R. Continue monitoring

Keep the matter under continuing monitoring until the immediate health emergency has been addressed and accountability has been determined.

REQUEST FOR URGENT INTERIM ACTION

Pending completion of the investigation, I respectfully request the Hon’ble Commission to direct the State Government to immediately:

conduct medical screening of every child in affected villages;
identify and hospitalise critically ill children;
ensure malaria and measles testing where medically indicated;
provide essential medicines;
ensure functioning doctors, nurses and ANMs;
establish emergency medical camps;
provide ambulances and referral facilities;
provide nutritional rehabilitation to malnourished children;
ensure food and Take Home Ration reaches eligible children;
undertake malaria-control measures;
verify vaccination status;
provide safe drinking water; and
preserve all relevant records for independent investigation.

DOCUMENTARY BASIS

The principal documentary/media material relied upon is the detailed Follow Up Stories investigation:

“Balaghat: ‘नक्सलमुक्त’ जिले में मलेरिया से मर रहे कुपोषित बच्चों का जिम्मेदार कौन?”

Read the complete Follow Up Stories investigation

The attached copy of the report records the chronology of the outbreak, reported deaths, malnutrition, malaria, measles, healthcare deficiencies and the response of authorities.

I submit this complaint in good faith and in the public interest, with the primary objective of protecting the right to life and dignity of vulnerable tribal children.

I do not ask the Hon’ble Commission to presume guilt against any individual officer or authority. I request an independent, transparent and scientifically based investigation to establish the facts and determine whether preventable administrative, healthcare, nutrition or disease-prevention failures contributed to the deaths.

The central question requiring urgent examination is:

Whether these deaths were preventable and, if so, why timely preventive and medical interventions did not protect these children.

I therefore respectfully request the Hon’ble Chairperson to treat this complaint as an URGENT HUMAN RIGHTS MATTER and exercise the Commission’s powers to protect the lives and dignity of the affected children and their families.

Yours faithfully,

Lenin Raghuvanshi
Human Rights Defender / Social Activist
Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh

Mobile: 9935599333
Email: lenin@pvchr.asia

Date: 11 September 2026
Place: Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh