Killer cough syrup: SIT to probe death of 14 children in Madhya Pradesh, doctor held, pharma company booked

The Madhya Pradesh police has formed a special investigation team (SIT) to probe the death of 14 children in Chhindwara due to suspected renal failure, linked to the consumption of a “toxic” cough syrup, officials said.

The state government has suspended Dr Praveen Soni, who has been arrested for alleged negligence in connection with the child deaths, while a case has been registered against the Coldrif cough syrup manufacturing company, the officials said.

The body of the last victim was exhumed on Sunday for a post-mortem.

Chhindwara Additional Collector Dhirendra Singh said an ex-gratia of Rs 4 lakh each, announced by Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, has been transferred to the bank accounts of the victims’ families.

Upset by the arrest of Dr Soni, who was also practising at a private clinic and had prescribed the syrup even after its adverse effects on children for nearly a month, his colleagues have threatened to strike work from Monday, 6 October.

The Opposition Congress has also announced a protest from Monday to highlight the “BJP government’s failure” in handling the crisis and seek more financial relief for the families of the children.

The MP government has banned the sale of Coldrif cough syrup, manufactured by Sresan Pharmaceutical, Kancheepuram (Tamil Nadu), with officials saying the drug samples have been found to contain a highly toxic substance.

A 12-member SIT, led by Parasia Sub Divisional Officer of Police Jitendra Singh Jat, has been set up, and it will visit the pharma company in Tamil Nadu, said additional collector Singh.

Dr Soni and the cough syrup manufacturing company have been charged under sections 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and 276 (adulteration of drugs) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

The Tamil Nadu drug control authorities, in their report of 2 October, declared the Coldrif syrup sample (Batch No SR-13; Mfg: May 2025; Exp: April 2027) manufactured by Sresan Pharmaceuticals, Kancheepuram, as adulterated because it contained diethylene glycol (48.6% w/v), a poisonous substance "which may render the contents injurious to health".

(With agency inputs)