S Ranganathan, owner of a Tamil‑state pharmaceutical firm, was taken into custody by Madhya Pradesh police after investigators linked his Coldrif cough syrup to the deaths of 20 children in the state.
The arrest took place on Thursday in Chennai, where Ranganathan will appear in court before being transferred back to Chhindwara after a transit remand is arranged.
Madhya Pradesh’s Deputy Chief Minister and Health Minister, Rajendra Shukla, confirmed that 20 children have died after taking the Coldrif syrup. Five other children are currently in treatment. Most victims were from Chhindwara district—17 children—while two were from Betul and one from Pandhurna.
Police from Chhindwara pursued Ranganathan to Chennai and Kanchipuram, and authorities are pursuing strict action against the company. The state government has ordered a nationwide ban on Coldrif and plans to seize remaining stocks from shops. A campaign will follow to retrieve the drug from homes in the affected districts.
A group of doctors and Indian Medical Association (IMA) members staged a protest in Chhindwara on Tuesday, demanding the release of Dr. Praveen Soni, a government paediatrician who was suspended and jailed in connection with the child deaths. Dr. Soni, who works at Civil Hospital, Parasia, was placed in 14‑day judicial custody earlier this week.
In response, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav convened a high‑level meeting in Bhopal to address the crisis. Among the actions taken: suspension of two drug inspectors, the Deputy Director of the Food and Drug Administration, and transfer of a drug controller. The CM also directed that Coldrif be banned and confiscated from all retail outlets, and that a thorough recovery effort be carried out in Chhindwara and surrounding districts.
Source: aninews
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