Coldrif Cough Syrup Tragedy: Sresan Pharmaceuticals Owner Arrested in Chennai

Chennai: Tamil Nadu-based pharmaceutical company owner S Ranganathan, the owner of Sresan Pharmaceuticals, has been arrested from Chennai in connection with the deaths of 20 children in Madhya Pradesh’s Chhindwara district, allegedly caused by the company’s toxic cough syrup, Coldrif.

A police of Madhya Pradesh Police travelled to Chennai and Kanchipuram and in a joint operation with Tamil Nadu Police, Ranganathan was taken into custody on Thursday at around 1.30 AM. He was later taken to Kanchipuram, where the company’s manufacturing unit is located, for a detailed investigation. A case has been filed under the 296/2025 U/S 105, 276, BNS, 27A Act.

“Sresan Pharma owner S Ranganathan was arrested last night. He will be presented before Chennai court and brought to Chhindwara after securing transit remand,” Chhindwara SP Ajay Pandey told ANI.

Preliminary investigations revealed that samples of Coldrif contained high levels of toxic chemicals, believed to have caused severe kidney damage in children who consumed the syrup. The local distributor’s premises in Madhya Pradesh have already been sealed.

Earlier on on Wednesday, Madhya Pradesh Police had announced a reward of Rs 20,000 for information leading to the owner of Srisan Pharmaceuticals, the manufacturer of Coldrif Syrup. Meanwhile, the bail application of Dr Praveen Soni, the doctor accused of prescribing Coldrif in Madhya Pradesh,  was rejected by the Chhindwara sessions Court on Wednesday. Dr Praveen Soni is a government pediatrician at Civil Hospital in Chhindwara. He was arrested after the deaths of 20 children after consuming the contaminated cough syrup. Court sent him to a 14-day judicial custody on Monday.

20 Innocent Lives Lost

Madhya Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister and Health Minister Rajendra Shukla on Wednesday infomred that 20 children had lost their lives in the state due to the consumption of Coldrif cough syrup, while five others were undergoing treatment. Of the 20 deaths, 17 were reported from Chhindwara district, two from Betul district, and one from Pandhurna. He also said that all the administration is making all possible efforts to save the lives of the children.

"Twenty children have lost their lives in the unfortunate incident from Chhindwara, Betul and Pandhurna districts. The state government is quite strict. The police teams from Chhindwara have reached Chennai and Kanchipuram to arrest the owner of Coldrif manufacturing company, and strict action is being taken into the matter," Shukla told reporters as quoted by ANI.

"I met five children who are undergoing treatment in Nagpur, two at Government Medical college, two at AIIMS and one in a private hospital and their families. The management and doctors are making all efforts to save the lives of children undergoing treatment," Shukla said.

Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Tuesday announced that the state government would take the responsibility of treatment for the children who are being treated in Nagpur for kidney infections caused by the cough syrup. A joint team of executive magistrates and doctors has also been deployed in Nagpur for continuous health monitoring.

"Chief Minister Mohan Yadav has directed that the state government would bear the entire cost of treatment for nine children suffering from kidney infections caused by cough syrup, who are being treated in various hospitals in Nagpur. A joint team of executive magistrates and doctors has been deployed in Nagpur to ensure proper medical arrangements and continuous monitoring of the affected children," the Chief Minister's Office said in a post on X. 

(With ANI inputs)