3-year-old cancer patient dies after nurse ‘injects hazardous chemical’ at AIIMS Bhopal

4 min readBhopalJun 14, 2026 06:45 AM IST

According to police, the inquiry concluded that formalin should either have been destroyed or stored securely after the biopsy procedure was deferred. Leaving it on the bedside locker next to a patient constituted a separate act of negligence.

A three-year-old boy undergoing treatment for blood cancer at AIIMS Bhopal died after a nurse allegedly injected him with formalin, a hazardous chemical used for preserving biopsy samples, despite repeated warnings from the child’s father that the syringe did not contain intravenous flushing fluid, police said.

The FIR, registered by Bagsewania police in Bhopal, names two nursing officers and draws extensively from findings of an internal AIIMS inquiry that concluded the child’s death was directly linked to the mistaken administration of formalin into his bloodstream.

Sarthak Yadav, a resident of Korja village in Sagar district’s Bina tehsil, had been admitted to AIIMS Bhopal’s Pediatric Ward-2 on December 15, 2025. According to the FIR, the child was suffering from B-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (B-ALL), a form of blood cancer, and had been brought to the hospital after developing a fever.

Investigators allegedly found that doctors had scheduled a bone marrow aspiration and biopsy procedure for December 16. For the procedure, Nursing Officer Anuka Gujarati allegedly brought formalin into the ward in a 10-ml syringe after marking it for identification.

Formalin, the FIR notes, is a “dangerous chemical liquid” used to preserve biopsy samples.

Officials at AIIMS Bhopal did not respond to queries seeking a comment.

The inquiry allegedly found that although the biopsy procedure was subsequently postponed, the syringe containing formalin was neither discarded nor moved to a secure location.

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Instead, according to the FIR, Gujarati allegedly “displayed gross negligence” by leaving the syringe on a bedside locker next to the child’s bed.

The FIR states that at around 7.15 am on December 17, Sarthak’s intravenous line became blocked. Nursing Officer Madhubala, who was on duty at the time, allegedly picked up the syringe lying on the bedside locker to flush the IV cannula without checking either the label on the syringe or its contents.

The inquiry report reproduced in the FIR records that Sarthak’s father, Siddharth Yadav, was standing next to the bed and repeatedly tried to stop her.

“During this time, the child’s father Siddharth Yadav cautioned and warned Nursing Officer Madhubala three times that the syringe did not contain IV flushing fluid and that it should not be administered to the child without consulting a doctor,” the FIR states.

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Police allege that the warnings were ignored.   “Despite these warnings, Nurse Madhubala ignored the family’s objections and, acting with gross haste and negligence, injected the formalin into Sarthak through the intravenous route,” the FIR said.

According to the police document, the three-year-old became unconscious as soon as the chemical entered his bloodstream.

“Immediately after the chemical injection was administered, Sarthak became unconscious,” the FIR records.

The child was rushed to the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU), where doctors attempted resuscitation and emergency treatment.

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“He was immediately shifted to the PICU in critical condition, where doctors administered CPR and other emergency treatment. However, despite these efforts, Sarthak Yadav died at 8.45 am,” the FIR stated.

The criminal case stems from a police inquiry that examined witness statements, post-mortem findings, and the report of an internal committee constituted by AIIMS Bhopal.

The police document specifically relies on the alleged findings of the AIIMS inquiry committee.

“The AIIMS Hospital inquiry report established that the child’s death was directly linked to the incorrect intravenous administration of formalin by Nurse Madhubala Sharma,” the FIR states.

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Investigators allegedly concluded that Madhubala’s actions amounted to a criminal offence because she administered the injection despite repeated objections from the family.

The FIR states that she gave the wrong injection “in a rash and grossly negligent manner” even after being warned several times.

The inquiry also allegedly found Nursing Officer Anuka Gujarati responsible for leaving the hazardous chemical unattended beside the patient’s bed.

According to police, the inquiry concluded that formalin should either have been destroyed or stored securely after the biopsy procedure was deferred. Leaving it on the bedside locker next to a patient constituted a separate act of negligence.

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A senior police officer said, “AIIMS Bhopal has suspended both nursing officers. We are on the lookout for them.”

Based on these findings, police registered a criminal case against both nursing officers under Sections 106(1) and 286 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, relating respectively to causing death by negligence and negligent handling of hazardous substances.

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Anand Mohan J is an award-winning Senior Correspondent for The Indian Express, currently leading the bureau’s coverage of Madhya Pradesh. With a career spanning over eight years, he has established himself as a trusted voice at the intersection of law, internal security, and public policy.

Based in Bhopal, Anand is widely recognized for his authoritative reporting on Maoist insurgency in Central India. In late 2025, he provided exclusive, ground-level coverage of the historic surrender of the final Maoist cadres in Madhya Pradesh, detailing the backchannel negotiations and the "vacuum of command" that led to the state being declared Maoist-free.

Expertise and Reporting Beats

Anand’s investigative work is characterized by a "Journalism of Courage" approach, holding institutions accountable through deep-dive analysis of several key sectors:

National Security & Counter-Insurgency: He is a primary chronicler of the decline of Naxalism in the Central Indian corridor, documenting the tactical shifts of security forces and the rehabilitation of surrendered cadres.

Judiciary & Legal Accountability: Drawing on over four years of experience covering Delhi’s trial courts and the Madhya Pradesh High Court, Anand deconstructs complex legal rulings. He has exposed critical institutional lapses, including custodial safety violations and the misuse of the National Security Act (NSA).

Wildlife Conservation (Project Cheetah): Anand is a leading reporter on Project Cheetah at Kuno National Park. He has provided extensive coverage of the biological and administrative hurdles of rewilding Namibian and South African cheetahs, as well as high-profile cases of wildlife trafficking.

Public Health & Social Safety: His recent investigative work has uncovered systemic negligence in public services, such as contaminated blood transfusions causing HIV infections in thalassemia patients and the human cost of the fertilizer crisis affecting rural farmers.

Professional Background

Tenure: Joined The Indian Express in 2017.

Locations: Transitioned from the high-pressure Delhi City beat (covering courts, police, and labor issues) to his current role as a regional lead in Madhya Pradesh.

Notable Investigations: * Exposed the "digital arrest" scams targeting entrepreneurs.

Investigated the Bandhavgarh elephant deaths and the impact of kodo millet fungus on local wildlife.

Documented the transition of power and welfare schemes (like Ladli Behna) in Madhya Pradesh governance.

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Author Profile: Anand Mohan J at Indian Express

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