The Madhya Pradesh Police has arrested S Ranganathan, the owner of Sresan Pharmaceuticals, the company that manufactured Coldrif cough syrup. Colrif has been linked to the deaths of several children in the state.
Ranganathan was arrested in Chennai in a joint operation carried out by Madhya Pradesh and Tamil Nadu Police. He was taken into custody on Wednesday night and is now being questioned.
The state police had been searching for him in connection with the deaths of at least 20 children who died after consuming a poisonous syrup in the state. A reward of Rs 20,000 was also announced for his arrest.
Apart from Madhya Pradesh, some deaths in Rajasthan have also been linked to the same syrup. The affected children reportedly developed kidney infections after consuming Coldrif syrup.
Coldrif is a medicine prescribed to relieve symptoms of cold and cough, such as a runny nose, sneezing, sore throat, and watery eyes in children. Earlier this month, Tamil Nadu authorities declared the syrup adulterated after tests revealed the presence of diethylene glycol, a toxic and harmful chemical.
India’s top drug regulator has acknowledged serious lapses in pharmaceutical manufacturing practices. An official advisory noted that inspections of several factories found that companies were not testing every batch of raw materials and active ingredients as required.
Also read: Centre mandates rigorous 'cough syrup' testing after child deaths from toxic batch
