In a major breakthrough in the ongoing Coldrif cough syrup tragedy, the Madhya Pradesh Police, in a joint operation with the Tamil Nadu Police, arrested S. Ranganathan, the owner of Sresan Pharmaceuticals, late Wednesday night in Chennai. The company is at the center of a nationwide outcry after its cough syrup was linked to the deaths of at least 20 children across Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.
Police sources confirmed that Ranganathan was taken into custody and is currently being interrogated by the Madhya Pradesh Crime Branch. The arrest followed a week-long manhunt, during which authorities had announced a cash reward of ₹20,000 for information leading to his capture.
According to investigators, the children who consumed the syrup developed severe kidney infections and multi-organ failure. Most of the victims were from Chhindwara district, while additional cases were reported from Rajasthan’s Baran region, raising alarm over the distribution of the contaminated batch.
Earlier, laboratory tests conducted by Tamil Nadu’s Drug Control Department confirmed the presence of diethylene glycol (DEG) — a toxic industrial chemical used in antifreeze — in samples of the Coldrif syrup. DEG contamination is known to cause acute renal failure, particularly in children.
“Preliminary lab reports confirmed the presence of diethylene glycol in the Coldrif samples. This is a gross violation of drug safety protocols and amounts to criminal negligence,” a senior Madhya Pradesh police official said.
Following the shocking findings, India’s top drug regulator issued a nationwide alert, admitting to serious lapses in manufacturing standards across multiple small-scale pharmaceutical firms. The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) revealed that several factories had failed to test each batch of raw materials, violating mandatory safety norms.
“We found that some manufacturers were skipping essential batch testing, leading to contaminated drugs reaching the market,” a CDSCO official said in a statement.
The Coldrif syrup, widely prescribed to children for cold, cough, and throat infections, has now been banned across Madhya Pradesh. State authorities have launched a massive recall drive to seize all remaining stocks from pharmacies and households.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav has ordered a statewide crackdown on errant pharmaceutical units and directed officials to ensure strict enforcement of drug safety protocols.
