DELHI: Indian police have arrested the owner of a pharmaceutical company after his cough syrup was linked to the deaths of at least 21 children, officials confirmed on Thursday.
The children, all under the age of five, died in Madhya Pradesh over the past month after being prescribed the contaminated syrup, which contained a deadly toxin.
Indian-made cough syrups have come under increasing global scrutiny in recent years, as similar deaths linked to their consumption have been reported in multiple countries, tarnishing India’s reputation as the third-largest producer of pharmaceuticals by volume.
G. Ranganathan, 75, was arrested early Thursday morning at his home in Chennai by police from both the city and Madhya Pradesh. He faces charges of culpable homicide not amounting to murder and adulteration of drugs, according to police sources and Indian media.
The cough syrup, branded Coldrif, was manufactured by Sresan Pharma at a plant in Tamil Nadu. The Indian health ministry revealed on Saturday that tests on the syrup samples showed contamination with diethylene glycol (DEG), a toxic substance commonly used in industrial solvents. Even small amounts of DEG can be fatal when ingested.
Following the deaths, Madhya Pradesh and several other states have banned Coldrif. Reports also indicate that the World Health Organization has asked Indian officials for clarification on whether the toxic cough syrup has been exported to other countries.
This is not the first incident involving contaminated cough syrup. In 2022, more than 70 children in Gambia died from acute kidney failure after consuming a cough syrup imported from India. In Uzbekistan, 68 children died between 2022 and 2023 after consuming another contaminated syrup produced in India.
