In a tragic development that has sent shockwaves through the Indian pharmaceutical industry and beyond, the owner of a Chennai-based pharma company has been arrested following the deaths of at least 21 children. The children, all under the age of five, tragically lost their lives in Madhya Pradesh after consuming a contaminated cough syrup.
The product in question—Coldrif syrup, manufactured by Sresan Pharma in Tamil Nadu—was found to contain diethylene glycol (DEG), a highly toxic industrial solvent known to cause kidney failure and death even in small amounts. Laboratory tests conducted by the Indian health ministry confirmed the presence of this fatal chemical in the syrup.
The man at the center of this growing outrage is G. Ranganathan, 75, the owner of Sresan Pharma. He was arrested at his residence in Chennai by a joint team of police from Tamil Nadu and Madhya Pradesh. Authorities have charged him with culpable homicide not amounting to murder and adulteration of drugs, a grave offense that could have international repercussions.
The loss of these innocent lives in Madhya Pradesh has forced the state—and others across India—to ban the sale and distribution of the Coldrif syrup.
This is not an isolated incident. Similar tragedies have occurred in the past:
-
In Gambia (2022), over 70 children died from kidney failure after taking contaminated cough syrup imported from India.
-
In Uzbekistan, between 2022 and 2023, 68 children died for similar reasons.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has now stepped in, seeking urgent clarification from Indian authorities regarding whether the Coldrif syrup has been exported to other nations.
This tragedy isn’t just about negligence—it’s about lives cut short, families shattered, and trust betrayed.
We must demand more accountability. We must prioritize safety over profit.
And above all, we must not allow the silence of bureaucracy to drown out the cries of 21 lost children.
Every child matters. Every life counts. And we must do better.
