Cough syrup deaths: Tamil Nadu’s Sresan Pharma owner brought to M.P.’s Chhindwara, sent to 10-day police custody

The owner of Sresan Pharmaceuticals, a Tamil Nadu-based firm that made a cough syrup linked to the deaths of 24 children in Madhya Pradesh, was remanded to 10 days of police custody by a court in M.P.’s Chhindwara on Friday (October 10, 2025).

G. Ranganathan was arrested at his home in Chennai by an M.P. Special Investigation Team (SIT) on Thursday, and then brought to M.P. and produced before a court in Chhindwara’s Parasia, where a case has been registered. He was booked after the Coldrif cough syrup, manufactured at his factory in T.N.’s Kancheepuram, was linked to the deaths of children due to kidney failure. 

Jabalpur Inspector General of Police Pramod Verma told The Hindu that Mr. Ranganathan would be interrogated for details on the manufacturing procedures followed at his factory, and the other people who may be held responsible. 

Motives being probed

“We will find out who are the people involved in the manufacturing and quality checks for cough syrups at his company so that the medicines qualify on the safety parameters. Further action, whether its pressing more charges against him or booking more people, will be taken based on the evidence,” he said, dubbing the arrest a “crucial breakthrough”.

Mr. Verma also pointed out that it was “highly unusual” that such high amounts of a toxic chemical could be added by mistake or due to negligence. The cough syrup’s samples were found to be adulterated with more than 46% diethylene glycol (DEG) in tests conducted by the drug control authorities of Madhya Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. 

“We are at an initial stage of the investigation at the moment but we will definitely try to find out if there was any motive involved behind this,” Mr. Verma added. 

IMA protests doctor’s arrest

A government paediatrician who has now been suspended, Dr. Praveen Soni, is already in judicial custody after he was arrested for prescribing the syrup to many of the deceased children at his private hospital in Parasia, where the highest number of deaths has been reported. 

However, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) has objected to his arrest, with doctors and pharmacists protesting in Chhindwara demanding his immediate release.

Earlier, M.P. authorities suspended two drug inspectors posted in Chhindwara and Jabalpur, and a deputy controller of the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA), while transferring the Controller. 

The Opposition Congress has demanded the removal of M.P. Deputy Chief Minister Rajendra Shukla, who also holds the Health portfolio.