Madhya Pradesh Doctor Who Prescribed Toxic Cough Syrup Arrested After 14 Children Die

The Madhya Pradesh government has banned the sale of Coldrif cough syrup following the death of 14 children in Chhindwara.

14 children died in Chhindwara district due to suspected kidney failure after consuming Coldrif cough syrup.

Source : X@IndianTechGuide

A doctor has been arrested in Madhya Pradesh’s Chhindwara in connection with the deaths of 14 children, who are suspected to have died after consuming Coldrif cough syrup prescribed by him.

Dr Praveen Soni was held following an FIR against him in connection with the children's death. An FIR was filed against Dr Soni and the operators of Sresun Pharmaceuticals, the manufacturer of Coldrif syrup under Section 27(A) of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act and Sections 105 and 276 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), based on a complaint by Ankit Sahlam, Block Medical Officer of Parasia Community Health Centre.

Meanwhile, the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) has initiated risk-based inspections at manufacturing units of 19 medicines, including cough syrups and antibiotics, across six states, following reports of 14 children's deaths due to suspected kidney failure.

According to the Union Health Ministry, these inspections aim to assess the quality and safety of medicines being produced across the country amid growing concerns over adulterated syrups.

Coldrif Sale Banned For Not Being Of Standard Quality

Officials said a sample of a cough syrup, tested at the Drug Testing Laboratory in Chennai, was found “Not of Standard Quality” by the Tamil Nadu Directorate of Drug Control. The discovery has triggered strict action from multiple states, including Madhya Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.

As a precautionary step, the local administration had banned the sale of Coldrif and Nextro-DS cough syrups on Monday. The test report for Coldrif arrived on Saturday, while results for Nextro-DS are still awaited.

The Tamil Nadu Drug Control Directorate, in a report dated October 2, declared the tested sample of Coldrif (Batch No. SR-13; Mfg: May 2025; Exp: April 2027), manufactured by Sresan Pharmaceuticals in Kancheepuram, as adulterated. It was found to contain diethylene glycol (48.6% w/v)—a toxic compound known to cause kidney failure—rendering the syrup “injurious to health.”

Following the report, Madhya Pradesh’s Food and Drug Administration immediately ordered a statewide halt on the sale and distribution of Coldrif and began seizing all available stocks for investigation under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940. The department also directed that all other products by Sresan Pharmaceuticals be removed from sale pending further testing.

Chief Minister Mohan Yadav described the incident as “extremely tragic,” assuring strict accountability: “The sale of this syrup has been banned across Madhya Pradesh. A ban is also being imposed on other products of the company that manufactures the syrup,” he posted on X.

The Tamil Nadu government had already banned Coldrif on Friday after deaths in both Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan were suspected to be linked to the same drug.