Sresan Pharma Owner Arrested In Chennai Amid Cough Syrup-Linked Child Deaths In Madhya Pradesh

A person holds a bottle of Coldrif cough syrup (Photo/Reuters)

S Ranganathan, the owner of the Sresan Pharma in Tamil Nadu, has been arrested amid the cough syrup-related child deaths in Madhya Pradesh.

Ranganathan was arrested in Chennai after the Madhya Pradesh Police had dispatched a team to the city and to Kanchipuram to arrest him.

Sresan Pharmaceuticals is said to be responsible for producing the cough syrup ‘Coldrif‘, the consumption of which has claimed several lives.

According to sources, Ranganathan is expected to be taken to the Kanchipuram factory of the cough syrup following his arrest.

CNN-News18 accessed the details of Ranganathan’s arrest, and it mentioned that he was arrested in the Ashok Nagar area of Chennai.

The team of the police had come to the city after a case was registered at their station under Sections 105 and 276 of the Bharatiya The story of the Sword, and the 27a Act.

As the team arrived in Chennai, it was known that Ranganathan resided within the limits of R3 Ashok Nagar Police Station.

Subsequently, the team contacted the Chennai Police, and Ranganathan was arrested at his residence.

COUGH SYRUP DEATHS IN MADHYA PRADESH

As many as 20 children have so far died in Madhya Pradesh, pushing the state into a major health crisis, allegedly caused by the consumption of the Coldrif cough syrup, manufactured by Sresan Pharma.

Deputy Chief Minister Rajendra Shukla, speaking to the media in Chhindwara on Wednesday, assured that the government is taking all necessary steps to ensure justice.

He also said a team of police had been dispatched to Tamil Nadu to arrest Ranganathan.

Medical investigations have revealed that the Coldrif syrup contained toxic chemicals that severely damaged the kidneys of the children.

Within hours of consumption, symptoms of renal failure began to appear, leading to rapid deterioration in their health.

As the outrage continued, the cough syrup was announced ban in Punjab, Goa, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and Uttarakhand.

Meanwhile, the Chhindwara district administration intensified its response, sealing five medical stores and sending syrup samples for laboratory testing.

Public announcements were being made in villages, warning parents against administering any cough syrups to children.

The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has expressed concern over the alleged wrongful implication of doctors in the case.

Some private practitioners, including Praveen Soni, are under scrutiny for prescribing or administering the syrup.

Meanwhile, a PIL was filed in the Supreme Court, seeking an inquiry and systemic reform in drug safety mechanisms in the wake of the deaths.

The PIL, filed by advocate Vishal Tiwari, seeks a court-monitored probe into the incidents and urges the constitution of a National Judicial Commission or Expert Committee headed by a retired Supreme Court judge.