Johnson & Johnson faulty hip implants: SC accepts Centre’s compensation scheme

Recording its acceptance of the scheme for compensation framed by the Central government, the Supreme Court today disposed of the public interest litigation petition relating to faulty hip implants made by Johnson & Johnson..The petition filed by one Arun Kumar Goenka was heard by a Bench of Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi and Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul, which disposed of the case after noting that nothing survived in the matter..The scheme provides for compensation between Rs. 3 lakh and 1.22 crore..The Court also directed the Central government to give wide publicity to the scheme so that others who have been affected by faulty implants can avail benefit of the scheme..Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for Johnson & Johnson, submitted that it has filed a petition in Delhi High Court against the compensation which it had been directed to pay, and requested the Court to record that the disposal of this case will not prejudice the case in High Court..The Court, however, refused to do so, and disposed of the matter..Last month, Johnson & Johnson had moved the Delhi High Court challenging the Reports of the two Committees formed to examine the issues relating to its faulty hip Implants and to determine the formula to compute the compensation for the affected patients..The matter was listed for hearing before a single Judge Bench of Justice Vibhu Bakhru, who refused to consider the plea in light of the pending PIL on the issue of compensation before the Supreme Court.