Madhya Pradesh doctor arrested after 11 child deaths from toxic cough syrup

Following the death of 11 children in Madhya Pradesh's Chhindwara district, Dr Praveen Soni, who prescribed the contaminated cough syrup, linked to the deaths, have been arrested. According to reports, the doctor is said to have prescribed the Coldrif cough syrup to several children, who have undergone treatment at his clinic in Parasia.

Earlier, on Saturday, October 4, the Madhya Pradesh police had registered a First Information Report (FIR) against Dr Soni and the operators of Srisan pharmaceuticals, a Tamil Nadu based company, which manufactured the cough syrup. The FIR was reported to have been booked under Section 27(A) of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act and Sections 105 and 276 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

Meanwhile, the Madhya Pradesh government, on Sunday, banned the sale of Coldrif cough syrup, with officials stating the drug samples were found to contain a highly toxic substance.

The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) has also initiated risk-based inspections at the manufacturing units of 19 drugs, including cough syrups and antibiotics, across six states, the Union health ministry said on Saturday.

A sample of the syrup, tested by the government drug analyst at the Drug Testing Laboratory in Chennai, was declared "Not of Standard Quality" by the Tamil Nadu Directorate of Drug Control, officials said here.

The action by the Madhya Pradesh government came in the wake of the deaths of 14 children in Chhindwara district due to suspected kidney failure. Of these, 10 deaths were reported in Parasia subdivision since September 7, local officials said.

The Tamil Nadu drug control authorities, in their report dated October 2, declared the Coldrif syrup sample (Batch No SR-13; Mfg: May 2025; Exp: April 2027) manufactured by Sresan Pharmaceuticals, Kancheepuram, as adulterated because it contained diethylene glycol (48.6% w/v), a poisonous substance "which may render the contents injurious to health".

Following the report, the Madhya Pradesh Food and Drug Administration issued instructions to stop further sale and distribution of Coldrif statewide and immediately seize any available stock for investigation under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940. It also ordered that other products manufactured by Sresan Pharmaceuticals be removed from sale pending testing.

Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, in a post on X, called the deaths "extremely tragic" and said strict action will be taken against those responsible.