A three-year-old boy receiving treatment for blood cancer at AIIMS Bhopal died after a nurse reportedly injected him with formalin, a hazardous chemical for preserving biopsy samples, despite the father warning multiple times that the syringe did not contain intravenous flushing fluid, police stated.
The FIR filed by Bagsewania police in Bhopal names two nursing officers and draws from an internal AIIMS inquiry that linked the death directly to the mistaken administration of formalin into the bloodstream.
Sarthak Yadav, from Korja village in Sagar district’s Bina tehsil, was admitted to AIIMS Bhopal’s Pediatric Ward-2 on December 15, 2025. He was suffering from B-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia and had developed a fever.
Investigators found that doctors had scheduled a bone marrow aspiration and biopsy for December 16. Nursing Officer Anuka Gujarati allegedly brought formalin into the ward in a marked 10-ml syringe.
Formalin is described in the FIR as a dangerous chemical liquid used to preserve biopsy samples. AIIMS Bhopal officials did not respond to requests for comment.
The inquiry found that although the procedure was postponed, the syringe was neither discarded nor secured. Gujarati allegedly left it on the bedside locker next to the child’s bed due to gross negligence.
At around 7.15 am on December 17, the child’s intravenous line blocked. Nursing Officer Madhubala allegedly picked up the syringe from the locker without checking the label or contents.
The father, Siddharth Yadav, stood nearby and warned her three times that the syringe did not contain flushing fluid and that a doctor should be consulted, according to the FIR.
Police allege the warnings were ignored. Despite objections, Madhubala injected the formalin intravenously in a rash and negligent manner.
The boy became unconscious immediately after the injection entered his bloodstream. He was rushed to the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit, where doctors performed CPR and emergency treatment, but he died at 8.45 am.
The criminal case is based on a police inquiry that reviewed witness statements, post-mortem findings, and the AIIMS internal committee report. The report established that the death resulted from the incorrect intravenous administration of formalin.
Investigators concluded that Madhubala’s actions constituted a criminal offence due to administering the injection despite repeated family objections. The inquiry also held Anuka Gujarati responsible for leaving the hazardous chemical unattended beside the patient.
Formalin should have been destroyed or stored securely after the procedure was deferred. A senior police officer said both nursing officers have been suspended and authorities are searching for them.
Police registered a case against both under Sections 106(1) and 286 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for causing death by negligence and negligent handling of hazardous substances.
