How Tamil Nadu pharma plant linked to 21 child deaths in MP operated unchecked for 14 years

Coldrif cough syrup

The arrest of a 73-year-old pharmaceutical entrepreneur has exposed a staggering lapse in India's drug regulatory system, revealing that a company responsible for a toxic cough syrup operated for 14 years without proper oversight, its licence renewed despite having no functional quality control.

According to reports, G Ranganathan, owner of Sresan Pharmaceuticals, was arrested in Chennai late last night by a Madhya Pradesh police team. His company's product, 'Coldrif' cough syrup, has been linked to the deaths of 21 children. However, the investigation has unearthed a more systemic scandal: how a manufacturer with a history of severe violations continued to operate with impunity.

For 14 years, Sresan Pharmaceuticals functioned from a dilapidated building in Kancheepuram, according to a TOI report. Despite a complete lack of proper infrastructure, quality control mechanisms, or basic hygienic practices, the company successfully retained its manufacturing licence ever since it was first granted in 2011.

This prolonged period of neglect ended only after children in Madhya Pradesh's Chhindwara district began dying in late August from acute kidney failure. The tragedy, affecting victims mostly under five years old, triggered a cross-state investigation that finally forced regulators to act.

An inspection on October 2, conducted at the request of Madhya Pradesh's drug controller, laid bare the horrifying conditions. Officials documented 364 violations at the Kancheepuram plant.

The findings, reported by TOI, included the use of non-pharmaceutical grade propylene glycol with no invoice or sourcing records, a complete absence of pest control and a purified water system and medicines being stored in corridors and packed without necessary air-handling units. The equipment was described as rusty, cracked and leaking, posing a high risk of contamination.

The laboratory source of the tragedy was identified in Batch SR-13 of Coldrif syrup, which Tamil Nadu lab analysis confirmed contained 48.6% diethylene glycol — a deadly industrial solvent used in antifreeze.

The Madhya Pradesh government has since banned all products made by Sresan Pharmaceuticals. Chief Minister Mohan Yadav ordered a state-wide crackdown, with inspectors seizing stocks and collecting fresh samples.

In response to the damning findings, Tamil Nadu’s Deputy Director of Drugs Control ordered an immediate halt to all manufacturing and sale at the firm on October 3. The state's Directorate of Drugs Control emphasised the speed of its recent action, stating the investigation was wrapped up within 48 hours despite public holidays.

This claim of efficiency has been met with sharp criticism, given the 14-year timeline of violations. Former state drug controller M Bhaskaran pointedly questioned the oversight, stating that for over a decade, "no one kept track or inspected the premises."