MP High Court Demands Answers After 17 Children Die at Ujjain Ashram

New Delhi, February 27, 2026 — In a development that has sent shockwaves through the state of Madhya Pradesh, the Indore Bench of the High Court has taken suo motu cognisance of the deaths of 17 specially-abled children at the Sevadham Ashram in Ujjain. The court’s intervention follows a grim investigation into hospital and cremation records, revealing a pattern of fatalities that went largely unreported to the public for over a year.

The High Court has directed the state government and ashram authorities to submit a detailed report within two weeks, questioning the quality of care and the circumstances surrounding these deaths.

A Fatal Transfer: From Indore to Ujjain

The origins of this tragedy trace back to June 2024, when an outbreak of cholera at the Yugpurush Ashram in Indore claimed the lives of 10 children. Following that disaster, the state government shut down the Indore facility and shifted 86 children—deemed “specially-abled” and requiring high-level care—to the Sevadham Ashram in Ujjain.

The move was intended to ensure the children’s safety. Instead, records now show that between January 2025 and February 2026, 17 of those 86 children died.

The Investigation: Hidden in the Records

The deaths might have remained unnoticed if not for a meticulous cross-referencing of records from the Ujjain District Hospital and the local electric crematorium.

• Uniform Cause of Death: Shockingly, the ashram attributed almost all the deaths to “respiratory distress” or “difficulty breathing.”
• The Timeline: The fatalities began just one month after the transfer, starting in late January 2025, and continued at a rate of more than one death per month.
• Victim Profile: The deceased were aged between 5 and 23 years, all belonging to the group of vulnerable children transferred from Indore.

The High Court’s Stand

The High Court Bench expressed severe concern over the lack of monitoring by the Women and Child Development Department. The court is now treating the matter as a Public Interest Litigation (PIL), seeking to understand:

1. Why the sudden spike in deaths occurred after the children were moved.
2. Whether the ashram had adequate medical staff and emergency equipment.
3. Why the district administration failed to flag the recurring “respiratory distress” as a potential sign of negligence or poor living conditions.

A Growing Outcry

Child rights activists are demanding a high-level judicial inquiry. “Moving children from one negligent facility to another is not a solution; it’s a death sentence,” stated one local advocate. Critics argue that the state’s oversight of private shelters for the disabled is dangerously thin, allowing tragedies to be buried in paperwork until they reach a breaking point.

As the two-week deadline for the state’s response approaches, the Sevadham Ashram remains under intense scrutiny. The remaining children at the facility are currently being monitored by a special medical team, but for 17 families and the community at large, the focus remains on accountability for the lives already lost.