Chhindwara police on Thursday brought back Praveen Soni, one of the men accused in the Coldrif cough syrup case, for a three‑day detention. The Special Investigation Team (SIT) visited Chhindwara jail, picked up Soni, and sent him to Parasia police station for questioning.
Soni, a senior paediatrician, had once recommended the Coldrif syrup that has been linked to the deaths of 25 children in Chhindwara and nearby districts. He was arrested on Oct. 5 after a police complaint. Since then he has stayed in the jail. His wife, Jyoti Soni, who runs a pharmacy at the hospital where many children received the syrup, was also taken into custody.
The SIT’s move is part of a broader probe into the tragedy. It had applied to the jail for Soni’s custody a few days ago. Seven people in total are now arrested, including G. Ranganathan, owner of the Tamil‑based syrup maker Sresan Pharmaceuticals, and others involved in the drug’s supply chain in Madhya Pradesh.
The Coldrif scandal has claimed the lives of at least 26 children in Madhya Pradesh—most under five—who died of kidney failure after taking the syrup. Three children in neighbouring Rajasthan also died. The World Health Organization warned against three “substandard” cough syrups, including Coldrif, in India in early 2024.
Lab tests by the state government found that Coldrif contained 48.6 % diethylene glycol, a toxic chemical far above the 0.1 % safe limit. After the deaths, the drug was banned in several states: Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Kerala, Karnataka, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Puducherry, West Bengal and Delhi.
The investigation continues as authorities work to identify all parties responsible and prevent another tragedy.
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