A seven-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) from Madhya Pradesh, led by an Assistant Commissioner of Police, conducted a probe at the factory of a drug manufacturer near Chennai on Wednesday to investigate the deaths of 20 children in Madhya Pradesh allegedly caused by contaminated cough syrup.
The SIT later visited the company’s registered office in Chennai to gather documents and CCTV footage. Officials said the factory owner had left the premises three days earlier.
The Tamil Nadu police assisted the SIT during the inspections. The pharmaceutical company, based in Chennai, had supplied the cough syrup ‘Coldrif’ to markets in Puducherry, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and other states.
Earlier, the Tamil Nadu government had sealed the pharmaceutical factory in Kancheepuram district on Tuesday evening.
Madhya Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Rajendra Shukla said on October 7 that 20 children had died from kidney failure after consuming the syrup.
Tests conducted by the Tamil Nadu Food Safety and Drug Administration found the samples from the factory to be “adulterated,” following which production was ordered to stop immediately.
The state government also banned the sale of Coldrif from October 1 and directed that all stocks be removed from the market. The company has not yet issued any statement.
'Public alert - stop use notice' against two cough syrups in Telangana
Meanwhile, the Telangana Drugs Control Administration issued a ‘public alert – stop use notice’ for two other syrups -- ‘Relife’ and ‘Respifresh TR’ -- manufactured by Gujarat-based firms, after laboratory tests in Madhya Pradesh detected the toxic chemical Diethylene Glycol (DEG).
Authorities urged the public to stop using these products and report them to local drug control offices.
The incident came to light after six children, aged between one and seven, from different parts of the Parasia area (also known as Koylanchal for its coal mining activity), died from kidney-related complications after consuming “adulterated” cough syrup.
The children initially suffered from cold and mild fever. Local doctors prescribed routine medications, including cough syrups.
After taking the medicines, the children initially appeared to recover, but within days their symptoms returned, accompanied by a sharp decline in urine output.
Dr Praveen Soni, who prescribed the syrup to kids in Madhya Pradesh, has been arrested on charges of negligence. However, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) defended Soni, arguing that systemic lapses by the pharmaceutical company and regulatory authorities also contributed to the tragedy.
The IMA has demanded strict action against those responsible for the deaths linked to contaminated cough syrup, compensation for affected families, and support for the doctor. It criticised the poor drug regulations and mishandling of the case.
Tests suggest the syrup contained toxic chemicals and was wrongly sold for children under four.
The Madhya Pradesh government has suspended two drug inspectors and a deputy director, and transferred the state drug controller.
The Union Health Ministry found one of ten syrup samples failed quality tests and has launched inspections in six states. Several states, including Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh, have banned Coldrif syrup and seized contaminated batches.
The Punjab and Himachal Pradesh governments have also banned the sale, distribution and use of Coldrif cough syrup.
Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh have started safety drives and surveys, while opposition parties have demanded accountability and a judicial probe into the regulatory lapses behind the tragedy.
A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been filed in the Supreme Court demanding a CBI probe and sweeping reforms in India’s drug safety framework following the incident.
(With inputs from PTI)
