At least 20 children have died in Madhya Pradesh after consuming the toxic Coldrif cough syrup, while five more children remain in critical condition undergoing treatment in neighbouring Nagpur, officials confirmed. The development has prompted heightened scrutiny of the manufacturer and regulatory processes across multiple states. Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi is likely to visit the bereaved families in Parasia block of Chhindwara district on October 11 or 12.
Most victims were from Chhindwara district, with two from Betul and one from Pandhurna. The children reportedly developed kidney failure after consuming the syrup manufactured by Sresan Pharmaceuticals, a company based in Kancheepuram, Tamil Nadu.
Deputy Chief Minister and Health Minister Rajendra Shukla said that of the five critically ill children in Nagpur, two are admitted at AIIMS, two in a government hospital, and one in a private hospital, adding that “everyone is trying their best to save their lives.” Shukla met with families of the affected children during his visit to Nagpur.
“Till now 20 children from Chhindwara, Pandhurna and Betul have died due to the unfortunate and painful incident. Five children are being treated in government and private hospitals in Nagpur and all efforts are underway to save their lives. A Police team from Chhindwara is already in Chennai and Kancheepuram in Tamil Nadu to arrest the owner of the pharmaceutical company which manufactured the Coldrif cough syrup,” Shukla said in Chhindwara on Wednesday.
Shukla also met with local representatives of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) and urged them not to proceed on indefinite strike against the arrest of the government doctor Dr Pravin Soni in the case.
In a related development, state’s leader of opposition Umang Singhar met with the bereaved families in Parasia on Wednesday, two days after the opposition party’s state president Jitu Patwari met with the families at the Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC) office in the same southwestern MP district and demanded Rs one crore compensation to each family.
On Wednesday, Singhar accused the state government of concealing facts behind the tragedy. The state’s LoP also questioned what efforts the state government is making to trace all the kids in Chhindwara and adjoining districts, who have consumed the concerned cough syrup.
“There are around 25,000 children in the worst hit Parasia block of Chhindwara, which has a total population of 2.5 lakh. Can the MP CM tell us how the other children who have taken the cough syrup will be traced, will it happen on the lines of the tracing process seen during the COVID pandemic?” Singhar questioned.
Singhar further questioned, “When will the CM show the courage to take the resignation of his health minister Rajendra Shukla, who a few days back had given a clean chit to the cough syrup, without waiting for the probe findings.”
Meanwhile, back in Bhopal, the CM Dr Mohan Yadav, in a media interaction on Wednesday, said, “It’s very painful when such tragedies happen. With a heavy heart I can say that it’s very painful when we lose our loved ones due to chook (lapses). Our health minister Rajendra Shukla visited the hospitals where the children are admitted in Nagpur (Maharashtra) on Tuesday night. Addressing the issue is the collective responsibility of the government as well as the opposition party. Positive criticism is always welcome, but politics shouldn’t unnecessarily be played over the highly sensitive issue.”
A police team from Chhindwara has reached Kancheepuram to arrest the owner of the company that produced the contaminated syrup. The Madhya Pradesh Police have also formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) and registered a case against the manufacturer.
Dr. Praveen Soni, who prescribed the syrup, has been arrested on charges of negligence. However, Indian Medical Association president Dr. Dilip Bhanushali defended Soni, arguing that systemic lapses by the pharmaceutical company and regulatory authorities also contributed to the tragedy.
Demanding immediate action on the actual culprits and adequate compensation for the affected families and the doctor who is a victim of defamation, the IMA on Monday had said they are concerned with the "incompetence and inadequacy of the drug regulatory system in the country and mishandling of this unfortunate incident.”
Preliminary investigations suggest that the syrup may have contained toxic chemicals, and authorities noted that the product should not have been prescribed to children under four years, yet was being sold freely.
In response, the Madhya Pradesh government has taken administrative action, suspending two drug inspectors and a deputy director of the Food & Drug Administration, and transferring Drug Controller Dinesh Maurya.
The Union Health Ministry said 19 samples of the syrup have been collected for testing. Of the 10 reports received so far, one failed quality standards, while the remaining met regulatory norms. The ministry has also initiated risk-based inspections of pharmaceutical units in six states to identify potential lapses in production and testing processes.
The crisis has widened beyond Madhya Pradesh, with similar cases reported in Rajasthan. Several states, including Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, and Uttar Pradesh, have banned Coldrif syrup, seized contaminated batches, and launched investigations into its distribution. The Maharashtra FDA has also restricted the sale and use of Batch No. SR-13, which was found contaminated.
States have begun implementing stricter safety measures. Rajasthan has started door-to-door surveys, awareness campaigns, and technical committees to investigate child health issues, while also mandating special warning labels on syrups harmful to children and pregnant women. Uttar Pradesh has seized contaminated batches and other products from the same manufacturer following nationwide alerts.
Families of the victims remain devastated. Opposition leaders have demanded accountability and a judicial inquiry into the tragedy. Congress had said that a government probe alone “cannot uncover the full truth” and called for an independent investigation into systemic failures in drug regulation that may have contributed to the deaths.
