In a major breakthrough in the Madhya Pradesh cough syrup tragedy, the Madhya Pradesh Police, with assistance from Chennai Police, arrested G. Ranganathan, the 75-year-old owner of Sresan Pharmaceuticals, in a late-night operation on 8th October in Chennai. The arrest marks a turning point in the investigation into the death of at least 21 children in Chhindwara district, allegedly caused by the company’s Coldrif cough syrup.
Ranganathan, who had been absconding since the tragedy came to light, was apprehended around 1:30 am from his residence in Kodambakkam, Chennai, after several days of electronic surveillance and coordination between state agencies. Following his arrest, police teams raided Sresan Pharmaceuticals’ manufacturing unit in Kancheepuram, Tamil Nadu, where they seized key production records, drug samples, and regulatory documents.
The tragedy
The case relates to Chhindwara district in Madhya Pradesh, where several children began showing symptoms of acute kidney failure in late September. Within weeks, at least 21 children had died, with more hospitalised in critical condition.
Laboratory analysis revealed that Coldrif, the cough syrup consumed by the victims, contained diethylene glycol (DEG) — a toxic chemical used in industrial solvents — at an alarming concentration of 48.6%, compared to the permissible limit of 0.1% for medicinal formulations.
The syrup, manufactured by Sresan Pharmaceuticals, was distributed to several districts in Madhya Pradesh through local pharmacies and doctors. The discovery triggered a state-wide public health emergency and nationwide scrutiny of the company’s operations.
The arrest operation
According to police officials, the arrest was the result of a meticulously planned midnight operation. A special team from Madhya Pradesh, including drug inspectors and cyber experts, tracked Ranganathan’s movements, residence details, vehicles, and bank transactions over several days before launching the raid.
Simultaneously, the company’s Kancheepuram plant was searched, leading to the seizure of crucial materials believed to be central to the investigation. Authorities said the recovered records would help establish how contaminated batches of Coldrif were manufactured and distributed.
In addition to Ranganathan, Dr. Praveen Soni, a pediatrician from Madhya Pradesh who prescribed the cough syrup to several children, was also taken into custody. Police sources said his role in prescribing and procuring the syrup is under detailed scrutiny.
Legal charges and proceedings
Ranganathan and Sresan Pharmaceuticals face multiple charges under both the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940. The FIR includes charges of:
- Adulteration of drugs (BNS section 276)
- Culpable homicide not amounting to murder (BNS section 105)
- Endangering the safety of children
- Violation of drug manufacturing norms and quality control standards
Officials confirmed that Sresan Pharmaceuticals’ manufacturing license has been temporarily suspended and is expected to be permanently revoked once the inquiry is complete. Ranganathan will be brought to the Chhindwara district for interrogation and trial proceedings in the coming days.
Investigations and findings
Preliminary inspections at the Kancheepuram facility have exposed over 300 safety and regulatory violations, ranging from poor manufacturing hygiene to inadequate chemical testing protocols. Investigators described the lapses as “systemic and severe.”
A Special Investigation Team (SIT) formed by the Madhya Pradesh government is now tracing the entire supply chain, including chemical suppliers, distributors, and stockists linked to the Coldrif syrup. Authorities suspect that substandard raw materials and lapses in quality assurance contributed directly to the tragedy.
The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) has also ordered a nationwide review of Sresan Pharmaceuticals’ products and initiated random testing of cough syrups produced by other manufacturers.
Government and regulatory response
The Madhya Pradesh government has imposed a complete ban on the sale and distribution of Coldrif syrup, as well as all other medicines manufactured by Sresan Pharmaceuticals.
The ban has since been extended by several other states, including Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Punjab, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, and Jharkhand, pending the outcome of the investigation.
The Madhya Pradesh government has also announced a compensation of ₹4 lakh for each deceased child’s family and promised to cover medical expenses for all affected children.
Timeline of key events
- Early October 2025: Children in Chhindwara begin falling ill after consuming Coldrif syrup.
- October 3: Madhya Pradesh bans Coldrif statewide.
- October 4: An FIR is filed; Dr. Praveen Soni is arrested.
- October 5–7: Death toll rises; several states announce bans.
- October 8: G. Ranganathan arrested in a midnight operation in Chennai, Kancheepuram unit sealed; crucial records seized; nationwide review initiated.
Broader implications
The Coldrif case has reignited debate over pharmaceutical oversight and drug safety enforcement in India. Experts have pointed out that despite periodic tragedies involving toxic syrups — both in India and abroad — systemic reforms in quality control remain limited.
As multiple agencies continue their probe into the Coldrif deaths, public health authorities have called for tighter inter-state coordination, stricter raw material testing, and real-time tracking of manufacturing audits to prevent such tragedies from recurring.
For now, the arrest of Sresan Pharmaceuticals’ owner signals the beginning of a deeper reckoning within India’s pharmaceutical regulatory framework — one that may determine how seriously the country addresses the balance between drug manufacturing expansion and patient safety.
