Cough Syrup Tragedy: Owner of Srisan Pharmaceuticals company owner arrested in chennai

Cough Syrup Tragedy: In a major breakthrough, Madhya Pradesh Police have arrested Ranganathan, the owner of Srisan Pharmaceuticals, in connection with the Coldriff cough syrup tragedy that claimed the lives of 21 children after allegedly consuming contaminated syrup.

Officials confirmed that Ranganathan, who had been absconding since the deaths were reported, was taken into custody and is being interrogated. His arrest follows an intensive manhunt launched by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) formed specifically to track him down.

The tragic incident sent shockwaves across the country after several children in Madhya Pradesh reportedly died following the consumption of Coldriff cough syrup, which laboratory tests later confirmed was adulterated and toxic.

To aid the search, the Madhya Pradesh Police had earlier announced a cash reward of Rs 20,000 for anyone providing information leading to the arrest of the pharmaceutical company owner. Authorities believe Ranganathan played a central role in manufacturing and distributing the spurious medicine.

Tamil Nadu blamed for negligence:

Madhya Pradesh’s Minister of State for Health, Narendra Shivaji Patel, accused the Tamil Nadu government of gross negligence, claiming it failed to ensure quality control of drugs manufactured in its jurisdiction.

“It is the responsibility of the Tamil Nadu government to test and certify drugs produced in the state before they are dispatched elsewhere. Our state conducts random sampling of medicines that enter Madhya Pradesh, but this particular syrup seems to have slipped through testing,” Patel said.

Tamil Nadu government’s response:

Reacting to the allegations, Tamil Nadu Health Minister Ma. Subramanian said that on October 3, drug control authorities collected samples of Coldriff syrup, which were later declared contaminated and unfit for consumption by a government laboratory.

Following the report, the state government immediately ordered the suspension of the company’s production activities, and the factory in Sunguvarchatram, Kanchipuram district, was sealed.

The minister clarified that Srisan Pharmaceuticals had been manufacturing the cough syrup for over 14 years and supplying it to multiple states across India.

Nationwide scrutiny ordered:

In the wake of the tragedy, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has instructed all states to conduct extensive testing of cough syrups available in the market, especially those produced by small and mid-sized manufacturers.

Health experts have described the incident as one of the worst drug contamination disasters in recent memory, highlighting glaring gaps in quality regulation and inter-state drug monitoring.

With Ranganathan now in custody, investigators hope to determine how the toxic batch was produced and distributed, and whether there was deliberate adulteration or negligence in the manufacturing process.

The state government has assured the families of the victims that strict punitive action will be taken against all those responsible for the deaths.

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