Indian police have arrested the 75-year-old owner of a pharmaceutical company after a toxic cough syrup produced by his firm was linked to the deaths of 17 children in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.
G. Ranganathan, the owner of Sresan Pharmaceutical Manufacturer, was taken into custody early Thursday from his apartment in the Kodambakkam neighborhood of Chennai. His arrest follows the deaths of multiple children in Chhindwara district, Madhya Pradesh, who had consumed Coldrif, a locally distributed cough syrup brand manufactured by his company.
A seven-member team from Madhya Pradesh Police, led by Deputy Superintendent of Police Jitendra Jaat, carried out the arrest within the Ashok Nagar police station limits. Officers said Ranganathan was taken into custody at around 12:30 a.m. and later transported to Kancheepuram district, where his company operates.
The case has prompted a wider investigation into the production and distribution of substandard medicines. Health authorities in Madhya Pradesh and other states ordered the immediate suspension of sales and distribution of Coldrif syrup after it was allegedly found to contain a poisonous chemical.
Laboratory tests from the Government Analyst at the Drug Testing Laboratory in Chennai confirmed that the Coldrif syrup contained 48.6 percent by volume of diethylene glycol, a toxic industrial solvent. The report declared the product “Not of Standard Quality,” stating it was “found to be adulterated” and contained a substance that could render the syrup injurious to health.
Authorities are investigating how the contamination occurred and whether safety protocols were bypassed during the manufacturing process. The arrest marks a significant development in a growing pharmaceutical safety scandal that has raised alarm across multiple Indian states.
