Cough Syrup Deaths: TN Firm Owner Remanded

chhindwara: Ranganathan Govindan, owner of a Tamil Nadu-based firm manufacturing contaminated cough syrup ‘Coldrif’ linked to the deaths of over 20 children in Madhya Pradesh, was remanded into judicial custody by a local court on Monday, an official said.

A special investigation team (SIT) had taken Govindan, the owner of Sresen Pharma, to Kanchipuram in Tamil Nadu for questioning after he was detained in police custody for 10 days.

He was produced before Additional Sessions Judge Gautam Gurjar in Parasia town after expiry of his custody, SIT chief Jitendra Singh Jaat said.

Chhindwara-based Dr Praveen Soni, who prescribed the ‘poisonous’ syrup, his nephew Rajesh Soni, a pharmaceutical wholesaler, and Saurabh Jain, a pharmacist at a pharmacy owned by Dr Soni’s wife, are already under judicial custody, the official said.

According to officials, at least 24 children from Chhindwara and surrounding areas died of kidney failure after consuming ‘Coldrif’ syrup, which was found to be poisonous.

The SIT chairman said that the company’s manufacturing unit has been sealed.

The state government had previously fired two drug inspectors and a deputy director of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), as well as charged the state’s drug controller over the deaths.

In a related development, a local court ordered Dr. He rejected Soni’s bail plea and then Dr. Soni moved the Madhya Pradesh High Court.