Coldrif scandal: Owner of pharma company that manufactured adulterated cough syrup arrested after 20 children died

Ranganathan Govindan, the owner of Sresan Pharmaceuticals, was taken into custody by the Madhya Pradesh Police in Chennai late last night.

Govindan was on the run since the scandal broke out. A reward of Rs. 20,000 was announced for his arrest.

But in a midnight operation, the Madhya Pradesh Police along with the local cops in Chennai arrested the owner.

At least 20 children died after consuming the cough syrup in the state.

Besides Madhya Pradesh, children's deaths also occurred in Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Kerala.

Three states- Kerala, Madhya Pradesh and Tamil Nadu- have immediately banned the sale and distribution of Coldrif cough syrup after laboratory tests confirmed the presence of a highly toxic chemical, Diethylene Glycol (DEG), in samples from the same batch linked to the deaths of nine children in Chhindwara district.

The Coldrif sample contained 48.6% Diethylene Glycol (w/v), a toxic substance known to cause acute kidney and liver failure. Officials concluded that the syrup was “unsafe for human consumption.”

Following the findings, the Madhya Pradesh drug controller ordered an immediate halt to the sale, distribution, and disposal of Coldrif across the state. All available stocks were directed to be sealed and preserved until further instructions.

Officials were instructed to collect additional samples from various districts and send them for laboratory testing. Any remaining batches of Coldrif in circulation are to be seized and frozen pending further analysis.

The ban follows a similar move by the Tamil Nadu government, which had prohibited Coldrif sales on October 1 after suspicions emerged linking it to the deaths of the children.

Preliminary investigations had suggested that several children fell critically ill after being given Coldrif, prompting health authorities to send samples for testing.

Chief Minister Mohan Yadav called the deaths “extremely tragic,” adding that swift action had been taken against the manufacturer and its products.

He said the state sought a probe from the Tamil Nadu government and “acted immediately upon receiving the lab report confirming contamination.”

In a preventive move, Kerala Health Minister Veena George on Saturday announced the suspension of Coldrif sales and distribution in the state, following reports from Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.

Although the affected batch was not sold in Kerala, the state’s Drugs Control Department instructed distributors and pharmacies to halt sales as a precaution. Samples of Coldrif and other syrups have been collected for testing.

The Union Health Ministry, meanwhile, advised doctors to avoid prescribing cough syrups to children under two years of age amid rising nationwide concern.

The Health Ministry confirmed that the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) had launched risk-based inspections at 19 pharmaceutical manufacturing units across the country.

The inspections, which began on October 3, aim to identify “gaps that may have led to quality failures” and ensure adherence to safety standards.

A multidisciplinary team comprising experts from the National Institute of Virology, ICMR, NEERI, AIIMS-Nagpur, and CDSCO has been tasked with analysing collected samples to determine the exact cause of the fatalities.