Gujarat high court on Thursday directed the state government to file an FIR in a case where 23 thalassemia-affected kids from Junagadh contracted HIV virus following blood transfusion at a civic hospital.

A division bench of acting chief justice Bhaskar Bhattacharya and justice J B Pardiwala asked the state government to register an FIR with in a week and file a detailed affidavit with regard to the probe done by its officials in the matter.

The court was hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) by advocate Girish Das seeking fixing of responsibility in the incident where 23 kids contracted HIV virus after blood transfusion, and another petition by parents of some of the victims, who had contended that the police were not filing FIR in the case.

The state government, on Thursday, filed an affidavit in the court saying that a team of high ranking officials which probed the incident felt that the children could have been infected with HIV at some place other than the Junagadh civil hospital as they had blood transfusion at other places before.

To this the court told them that they have not submitted the enquiry report with the affidavit, and asked it to file a detailed affidavit with papers of all probes done by the officers by the next hearing.

In the PIL, Das had alleged that state government was responsible for the kids getting infected with HIV, and have sought Rs 5 lakh compensation for their families.

He further alleged that Gujarat State for Blood Transfusion and National Council for Blood Transfusion have failed in their duties for protecting fundamental rights of citizens particularly children.

Das has also demanded that the state government be directed to ensure free treatment of the affected children in a hospital of their choice.