Child fatalities in MP: FIR filed against Coldrif manufacturer, doctor in custody

Bhopal: At least 14 children have died in Madhya Pradesh’s Chhindwara district after consuming a toxic batch of Coldrif cough syrup, leading to criminal action against the manufacturer and the prescribing doctor.

Chhindwara police said an FIR has been registered at Parasia Police Station against the manufacturer, Sresan Pharmaceutical, Kancheepuram (Tamil Nadu), and Dr Praveen Soni, a government paediatrician who prescribed the syrup while practising at a private clinic. Kotwali police team of the district arrested Dr Soni on Saturday night. Both he and the company have been booked under Section 276 of the BNS and Section 27A of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940.

Dr Soni has been arrested because he continued prescribing the syrup for nearly a month despite noticing adverse reactions in children. He was suspended on October 5 by Tarun Rathi, Commissioner of the Department of Public Health and Medical Education.

The state government on Saturday ordered an immediate halt to the sale and distribution of Coldrif after it was found to contain 48.6% diethylene glycol (DEG), a toxic industrial solvent. The permissible limit is 0.1%. The contamination has been directly linked to the deaths.

A test report from the Government Analyst at the Drug Testing Laboratory in Chennai declared the syrup “Not of Standard Quality.” It confirmed that the sample was adulterated with DEG, a poisonous substance known to cause acute renal failure.

Similar child fatalities were recently reported in Rajasthan, where at least four deaths were allegedly linked to cough syrup.

Following the ban, raids were conducted at pharmacies across the state. In Jabalpur, drug authorities seized 66 bottles from Kataria Pharmaceutical, which had procured 660 bottles from Chennai. Of these, 594 were sold in Chhindwara. Sixteen samples from the seized stock were sent for further testing.

Health officials said the fatalities occurred over the past fortnight. Children who consumed the syrup for cough and fever reportedly developed vomiting and symptoms of kidney and nervous system distress soon after.

Chief Minister Mohan Yadav has ordered testing of other batches from the company to determine if the contamination is widespread.