A government paediatrician in Madhya Pradesh’s Chhindwara district has been arrested following the deaths of at least 13 children linked to a contaminated cough syrup. Dr Praveen Soni, who allegedly prescribed the toxic medicine to the majority of the young victims, was taken into custody late Saturday night.
The fatalities occurred after the children consumed Coldrif syrup, manufactured by Sresun Pharmaceuticals, a Tamil Nadu-based company. A laboratory analysis found the syrup contained 48.6% diethylene glycol (DEG), a lethal chemical known to cause kidney failure and death.
Dr Soni, who operated a private clinic in Parasia despite being a government doctor, has been charged under Section 27(A) of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, and Sections 105 and 276 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), based on a complaint filed by Ankit Sahlam, Block Medical Officer of Parasia Community Health Centre.
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Police sources said most of the deceased children had been treated at Dr Soni’s clinic between early and mid-September. The children initially presented with a cold and mild fever, but soon developed severe complications, including kidney infections and drastically reduced urine output. Post-mortem investigations and kidney biopsies confirmed DEG poisoning.
The Tamil Nadu Directorate of Drug Control declared the syrup “Not of Standard Quality” after testing at the Drug Testing Laboratory in Chennai. In response, the Madhya Pradesh government has imposed a state-wide ban on the sale of Coldrif, and also prohibited another cough syrup, Nextro-DS, as a precaution. The test results for the latter are still pending.
Authorities have also launched legal proceedings against Sresun Pharmaceuticals, headquartered in Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu. The Tamil Nadu government was requested to conduct a detailed investigation into the company’s manufacturing practices.
Chief Minister Mohan Yadav called the incident “extremely tragic” and vowed stringent action against those responsible. “The sale of this syrup has been banned across Madhya Pradesh. A ban is also being imposed on the sale of other products from the company that manufactures the syrup,” he posted on X (formerly Twitter).
“A team has been formed at the state level to investigate the matter. The guilty will not be spared at any cost,” he added.
Of the 13 children who died, 11 were from Parasia, while two others were from Chhindwara city and Chaurai, respectively.
The tragedy has sparked broader concern, prompting Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala to also ban Coldrif. Rajasthan has reported three similar child deaths, raising fears of a wider public health crisis.
Rajasthan Health Minister Gajendra Singh Khinvsar confirmed that all 19 medicines supplied by Kaysan Pharma, Jaipur, have been suspended following reports of adverse effects linked to Dextromethorphan HBr Syrup in Bharatpur and Sikar.
Two health officials — Dr Palak Koolwal (PHC Hathideh) and Pharmacist Pappu Soni — have been suspended for negligence, while State Drug Controller Rajaram Sharma has also been suspended for lapses in monitoring.
On September 28, 2025, complaints were received from Bharatpur regarding batch number KL-25/147 of Dextromethorphan Syrup. The next day, a similar complaint came from Sikar regarding batch KL-25/148.
“Patients reported vomiting, dizziness, fainting, and drowsiness after consuming the syrup. The Health Department immediately banned these batches and sent statutory samples to the State Drug Testing Laboratory,” the minister said.
Addressing media reports linking the cough syrup to three child deaths, the minister clarified that Nityansh Sharma (4), Sikar, died on September 29, 2025, with no evidence of dextromethorphan being prescribed. “Samrat, Bharatpur, died on September 22, 2025, of acute respiratory distress, and there was no record of syrup consumption. Tirthraj, Bharatpur, died on September 27 2025, of acute encephalitis with no record of syrup use. These cases are still under investigation, but so far there is no confirmation that government doctors prescribed the drug,” Khinvsar said.
Fresh advisories from the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) warn that dextromethorphan should not be given to children under 2 years and should generally be prescribed only for those above 5 years. Rajasthan has instructed all doctors to strictly follow these guidelines, he added.
The Health Minister shared updates on children who fell ill after suspected syrup use. “Gagan, son of Satishchand, Bharatpur, fell sick after consuming his father’s medication, but has now recovered. Kittu (3) and Tinku, sons of Pratap Singh, Sikar, confirmed to have consumed dextromethorphan; both recovered. Khinvsar further stated: “Today, reports from the Drug Testing Lab for six samples of Kaysan Pharma’s dextromethorphan batches have been received. All were found to be of standard quality. So far, 1.33 lakh doses from these batches have been distributed, and no adverse complaints have been reported elsewhere.”
The minister revealed that since 2012, 10,119 samples from Kaysan Pharma had been tested, of which 42 failed quality checks.
Significantly, 39 samples of a single drug failed during COVID-19, while three more failed in recent months. “In view of these repeated failures, we have suspended all 19 medicines of Kaysan Pharma as a precautionary measure,” Khinvsar stated.
He reassured the public that the Chief Minister’s Free Medicine Scheme continues to maintain a multi-level quality control system, and the government remains committed to taking all necessary steps to protect public health.
(With Inputs from IANS)
