Coldrif deaths probe: Pharma firm’s staff arrested in Madhya Pradesh

Police have arrested a medical representative of the Tamil Nadu-based Sresan Pharma Company in connection with the deaths of children linked to the consumption of adulterated Coldrif cough syrup in Madhya Pradesh. The arrest marks a significant step in the ongoing investigation into the tragedy that has claimed at least 24 lives in the state and three more in Rajasthan.

According to Sub-Divisional Officer of Police (SDOP) Parasia, Jitendra Kumar Jaat, the accused, identified as Satish Verma, was apprehended from Chhindwara on the intervening night of Sunday and Monday. He is being questioned regarding the distribution and promotion of the allegedly toxic cough syrup.

The now-banned Coldrif syrup was manufactured by Sresan Pharma in Tamil Nadu. Following reports of child deaths, the Tamil Nadu government revoked the company’s manufacturing licence and ordered its closure. So far, six people have been arrested in the case, including Sresan Pharma’s owner G. Ranganathan and Dr Praveen Soni, a local physician accused of prescribing the syrup to children.

Investigations revealed that at least 24 children in Madhya Pradesh, most of them under the age of five, died due to suspected kidney failure after consuming the syrup, while three similar deaths were reported in Rajasthan.

Tests conducted by the Tamil Nadu Drugs Control Directorate on October 2 found that Coldrif samples were “not of standard quality.” Subsequent analysis by Madhya Pradesh authorities detected 48.6 per cent diethylene glycol (DEG), a toxic chemical far exceeding the 0.1 per cent permissible limit.

The incident prompted the World Health Organisation (WHO) to issue a global alert identifying three substandard cough syrups Coldrif, Respifresh TR, and ReLife manufactured in India. In response, the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) has launched nationwide inspections of drug-manufacturing facilities.

Following the deaths, the formulation has been banned in multiple states and Union Territories, including Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Kerala, Karnataka, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Puducherry, West Bengal, and Delhi.

The Madhya Pradesh government has announced an ex-gratia compensation of ₹4 lakh for each bereaved family and assured free treatment for children affected by the syrup. The criminal investigation remains underway to fix responsibility within the company and the distribution network.