The owner of Sresan Pharmaceuticals, Ranganathan, has been arrested in connection with the deaths of at least 21 children in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, following the discovery that the company’s Coldrif cough syrup contained dangerously high levels of the toxic chemical diethylene glycol. The arrest, carried out in Chennai late last night, came shortly after Ranganathan was detained for questioning by the Madhya Pradesh Police. He is set to be transferred to Chhindwara district, where most fatalities have been reported, after securing transit remand. Following the arrest, Sresan Pharmaceuticals has been permanently shut down.
Authorities picked up Ranganathan in the early hours from his residence in Kodambakkam, Central Chennai, before taking him to the company’s factory in Sunguvarchatram, Kancheepuram, for further questioning. Investigations suggest that the toxic syrup had also been supplied to Odisha and Puducherry, in addition to Madhya Pradesh, and more arrests are expected as the probe unfolds.
A detailed 26-page report by the Tamil Nadu Drugs Control Department exposed the extremely unhygienic conditions at the Kancheepuram factory, citing 350 violations, including rusted equipment and the use of non-pharma-grade chemicals. The inspection revealed that up to 48 percent of industrial liquid had been added to the syrup, despite the permissible limit being only 0.1 percent, and that the company had continued production without GMP certification. Following the findings, the state regulatory authority issued a stop-production order and suspended the company’s license.
In response, the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) requested the cancellation of the drug’s manufacturing license after the presence of the toxic chemical was confirmed. Union Health Ministry officials noted that regulatory compliance at manufacturing units falls under the jurisdiction of State Drug Controllers, who issue Form 25 licenses to manufacture allopathic drugs. However, the final authority to cancel a license rests with the respective State Drug Controller.
