Shocking Cough Syrup Deaths in MP: Toxic Coldrif, Arrests and a Regulatory Reckoning

Cough syrup deaths MP have exposed a catastrophic failure in drug safety: children fell sick and at least 20 died after ingesting Coldrif syrup made by Sresan Pharmaceuticals, triggering arrests, bans, and nationwide inspections.

In this long-read, we explain what happened, what laboratory tests found, who has been held responsible, how regulators reacted, what other products are implicated, and — crucially — what systemic reforms are needed to prevent another tragedy.

Table of contents

1. Quick summary: what we know now
2. Timeline: from first illness to arrest
3. Lab results: DEG contamination and failed batches
4. The company: Sresan Pharma, licences and violations
5. Regulatory response: CDSCO, state FDAs, and recalls
6. Other syrups under the scanner
7. Why this isn’t an isolated failure (global context)
8. What parents and clinicians should do today
9. Systemic fixes that must follow — a checklist
10. Media, legal, and public reaction
11. Conclusion
12. FAQs

1. Quick summary: what we know now

• In Chhindwara (Madhya Pradesh), dozens of children who had taken Coldrif cough syrup fell critically ill; the reported death toll is around 20 children.
• Sresan Pharmaceuticals, the manufacturer, is at the centre of the probe; owner G. Ranganathan (Ranganathan Govindan) was arrested after being on the run.
• Laboratory testing detected very high levels of diethylene glycol (DEG) in the Coldrif batch — a toxic industrial solvent that can cause acute kidney failure and death. A reported test value was ~48.6% DEG in the suspected batch (vastly over safe limits).
• Authorities have seized stocks, cancelled licences, and ordered nationwide batch testing of cough syrups. Several other syrup brands have also been flagged for DEG contamination.

2. Timeline: from first illness to arrest

• Children in the affected area presented with rapid deterioration after consuming cough syrup — initially mild respiratory symptoms followed by kidney failure.
• Local health authorities sent samples for testing; results showing DEG contamination triggered immediate action.
• Police and state drug regulators launched raids on Sresan’s manufacturing site; multiple violations were found — reports cite hundreds of violations (user-provided figure: 364 violations, 38 of them serious).
• The company’s owner, who had reportedly gone missing, was arrested in Chennai in the early hours and taken into custody for questioning.
• CDSCO and state FDAs began wide-ranging inspections and ordered recalls/ bans on implicated batches and products.

3. Lab results: DEG contamination and failed batches

• Diethylene glycol (DEG) was the primary toxicant detected. DEG is NEVER an acceptable ingredient in medicinal syrups; allowable limits for such contaminants are extremely low (trace/near zero).
• The Coldrif batch in question tested alarmingly high (~48.6% DEG in one report). Two other syrups — Respifresh TR (~1.342% DEG) and ReLife (~0.616% DEG) — were also reported to have failed DEG tests in samples collected by state laboratories.
• Some samples tested by central teams reportedly cleared tests while state teams later found DEG in the same batches — this discrepancy highlights sampling, chain-of-custody, and testing protocol problems that need urgent standardisation.
• DEG poisoning typically affects the kidneys and the nervous system and can be fatal, especially in children.

4. The company: Sresan Pharma, licences and violations

• Sresan Pharmaceuticals had a manufacturing licence (granted 2011, renewed 2016) from the Tamil Nadu FDA. The firm’s licence is now being cancelled and its plant sealed.
• Inspections allegedly uncovered hundreds of violations, including lapses in quality control, batch testing, vendor verification of raw materials, and documentation. Authorities say the company was supplying the product without adequate testing.
• The gravity of violations — and the fact that the central regulator CDSCO was not involved in the original licensing — raises questions about oversight, decentralised approvals, and post-licence monitoring.

5. Regulatory response: CDSCO, state FDA, and recalls

• The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) and state drug controllers ordered:
  • immediate suspension or cancellation of licences where gross violations are found;
  • seizure and withdrawal of suspect stocks;
  • intensified sample collection and batch testing of cough syrups nationwide;
  • public disclosure of test results for transparency.
• CDSCO reportedly asked states to provide a complete list of syrup manufacturers and to step up random inspections; a publicised testing campaign for cough syrups is expected.
• Courts and petitioners have demanded swift criminal probes; a PIL in the Supreme Court has been filed seeking an independent inquiry and a ban on implicated products pending the probe.

6. Other syrups under the scanner

• Authorities have identified Respifresh TR and ReLife as additional syrups that failed DEG tests in some samples. State drug controllers issued “stop use” notices and ordered withdrawals where needed.
• Preliminary data show failures are batch-specific rather than universal across brands, but regulators are treating all syrup production with caution until a comprehensive assessment is done.

7. Why this isn’t an isolated failure (global context)

• This tragedy is painfully reminiscent of earlier international episodes: contaminated cough syrups made in India were implicated in child deaths in Gambia (2022) and Uzbekistan earlier.
• Recurrent incidents point to systemic vulnerabilities: weak vendor controls for solvent-grade materials, inadequate batch testing, inconsistent regulatory enforcement, and opaque supply chains for excipients and solvents.

8. What parents and clinicians should do today

• Do not use any cough syrup from Sresan Pharmaceuticals or the specific implicated batches. If you have a bottle, preserve it and report to the local health authority.
• If a child shows vomiting, decreased urine output, lethargy, convulsions, or breathing difficulty after taking syrup, seek immediate medical care — inform clinicians about possible DEG exposure.
• Prefer symptomatic management (fluids, fever control) and consult physicians before giving over-the-counter syrups; in many mild coughs, syrups are unnecessary.
• Pharmacists and primary-care doctors should check batch numbers and immediately suspend the sale of suspected lots.

9. Systemic fixes that must follow — a checklist

1. Mandatory certificate of analysis (CoA) for every batch — publicly accessible via a central portal.
2. Third-party accredited testing of excipients (glycerin, solvents) and finished products before release.
3. Nationwide raw-material vendor registry — only approved, audited suppliers for pharmaceutical-grade excipients.
4. Randomised cross-testing: central and state labs must independently test identical samples to validate results and sampling integrity.
5. Stronger criminal deterrents and faster prosecution for deliberate adulteration.
6. Real-time recall mechanism with distribution-level traceability to pull suspect lots quickly.
7. Periodic unannounced GMP audits of small and medium pharma units.
8. Public dashboard for recall notices, lab results, and enforcement actions.

10. Media, legal, and public reaction

• The case provoked intense national media coverage; legal activists have filed PILs asking for independent probes and compensation fothe r the victims’ families.
• Several civil society groups demand transparency of all test reports and a public list of manufacturers whose records are under review.
• Politicians and health ministers promised strict action; the public outcry is shaping into a push for stronger drug safety laws.

11. Conclusion

The cough syrup deaths in MP are a human tragedy and a warning. The immediate actions — arrests, bans, seizures, and intensified testing — are necessary but only the start. Unless regulators and industry fix quality controls, supplier vetting, and testing transparency, similar tragedies could recur. For the sake of public trust and child safety, India must convert grief into systemic reform — quickly, visibly, and permanently.

FAQs (short, focused)

Q: How many children have died in the MP cough syrup incident?
A: Reports indicate about 20 children died after taking Coldrif syrup; numbers may update as investigations continue.

Q: What toxic chemical was found?
A: Diethylene glycol (DEG) — an industrial solvent that is highly poisonous when ingested.

Q: Is every cough syrup unsafe now?
A: No. Failures appear batch-specific. However, regulators advise caution: do not use syrups from implicated manufacturers or batches until cleared.

Q: Has the manufacturer been punished?
A: Authorities arrested the company owner, sealed the pla,,nt and moved to cancel licences; criminal and regulatory proceedings are underway.

Q: What should parents do immediately?
A: Stop using the suspected syrup, seek urgent medical care if a child shows alarming symptoms, and report the batch to local health authorities.

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