Authorities in Madhya Pradesh’s Chhindwara district arrested Dr Praveen Soni on Sunday, a pediatrician from Parasia, following a major controversy surrounding the deaths of 11 children allegedly linked to the consumption of contaminated Coldrif cough syrup. The arrests and subsequent actions have sparked widespread outrage and prompted swift responses from both state and central authorities.
The Madhya Pradesh government has also initiated legal action against Srisan Pharmaceuticals, the Tamil Nadu-based company located in Kanchipuram district that manufactured the Coldrif cough syrup. The government had previously banned the sale of Coldrif after tests revealed that samples of the syrup contained 48.6 pc diethylene glycol, a highly toxic substance. The Tamil Nadu Directorate of Drug Control, following analysis at the Drug Testing Laboratory in Chennai, declared the syrup "Not of Standard Quality."
As a precautionary measure, the local administration in Madhya Pradesh also banned the sale of another cough syrup, Nextro-DS, on Monday. While the test results for Coldrif were received on Saturday, the results for Nextro-DS are still pending.
According to grieving families, the affected children, primarily from Parasia, initially exhibited symptoms of a cold and mild fever in early September. They were prescribed routine medications, including Coldrif cough syrup, at Dr Soni’s clinic. Initially, the children appeared to recover, but within days, their symptoms recurred, accompanied by a sudden and alarming decrease in urine output. This led to severe kidney infections, which ultimately proved fatal. Subsequent kidney biopsies confirmed the presence of diethylene glycol contamination as a contributing factor in the deaths. Of the 14 reported fatalities, 11 were from Parasia, two from Chhindwara city, and one from Chaurai.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav described the incident as “extremely tragic” and vowed stringent action against those responsible. In a post on X on Saturday, he stated, “The deaths of children in Chhindwara due to Coldrif syrup are extremely tragic. The sale of this syrup has been banned across Madhya Pradesh. A ban is also being imposed on the sale of other products from the company that manufactures the syrup.” He further noted that the state had requested the Tamil Nadu government to test the syrup, given that Srisan Pharmaceuticals is based in Kanchipuram.
Also Read: Madhya Pradesh bans Coldrif syrup after toxic chemicals found
“The investigation report was received this morning. Strict action has been taken based on the report. Following the tragic deaths of the children, action was underway at the local level. A team has also been formed at the state level to investigate this matter. The guilty will not be spared at any cost,” Yadav added.
In response to the tragedy, other states have taken action as well. Rajasthan, where three similar deaths were reported, along with Tamil Nadu and Kerala, have also banned the sale of Coldrif cough syrup to prevent further harm. The arrests, bans, and ongoing investigations underscore the urgency of addressing the contamination crisis and ensuring accountability to protect public health.
Also Read: Ministry says cough syrups not contaminated; TN bans ‘Coldrif’
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