A week after the death of more than a dozen children at Chhindwara in Madhya Pradesh after consuming the Coldrif cough syrup, a police team from the state have arrested G. Ranganathan, proprietor-cum-manufacturing chemist of Sresan Pharmaceuticals in Chennai.
A seven-member police team from Madhya Pradesh, led by Jitendra Jaat, Deputy Superintendent of Police, arrested Ranganathan from his residence in the limits of R3 Ashok Nagar police station. The 75-year old Ranganathan was picked up at 12.30 am on Thursday. A case has been registered under sections 105 and 275 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the 27A act. The 75-year-old Ranganathan who was interrogated by the police for several hours and is likely to be taken to his factory at Kanchipuram, on the outskirts of Chennai for further interrogation.
G. Ranganathan, owner of Sresan Pharmaceuticals, was arrested in Chennai in connection with the deaths of at least 21 children in Madhya Pradesh. The children reportedly died after consuming Coldrif cough syrup, which was found to contain toxic diethylene glycol. #coughsyrup… pic.twitter.com/Xm7KK4cFLt
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The Special Investigation Team (SIT) formed by the Madhya Pradesh government arrived in Chennai on October 7 and began its investigation.
Earlier, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) which arrived from Madhya Pradesh, with the help of the Tamil Nadu police lodged a lookout for Ranganathan, who went hiding after the row erupted. The SIT, assisted by the Tamil Nadu police, inspected the premises of Sresan Pharmaceuticals and the drug company in Kanchipuram district.
Failure of Tamil Nadu Food and Drug Administration (TNFDA)
According to highly placed sources, the TNFDA had failed to act on time. Hours after the SIT arrived on October 7, the drug control authorities in Tamil Nadu got to work and slapped a notice on Sresan Pharmaceuticals and its owner, seeking explanation in the manufacturing of the toxic cough syrup, which killed more than 19 children, before October 12. As the premises was shut down, the authorities pasted the notice on the door.
Even when Madhya Pradesh government had sought a detailed information and even when the Central Drugs Standard Controls Organisation (CDSCO) had directed the TNFDA to cancel the license of Sresan Pharmaceuticals, the latter had failed to take a strict action. The TNFDA pasted he show-cause notice seeking explanation from Ranganathan only on October 8, almost a week after the death of the children kicked up a row.
“Samples were collected from the company’s manufacturing unit and tested at the government drugs testing laboratory,” said Health Minister Ma. Subramaniam. The samples received that the syrup was “not of standard quality” and found to be adulterated with Diethlyene Glycol, a toxic substance harmful to health. The government after a week has now suspended two senior drug inspectors in Tamil Nadu for failing to conduct quality checks on drugs manufactured by Sresan Pharmaceuticals over the past two years.
“It was Tamil Nadu that detected the contamination. We only alerted the other states. Tamil Nadu Medical Services Corporation does not procure this syrup. We have also halted the retail sales of Coldrif now. The swift action taken by Tamil Nadu has helped prevent untoward incidents in many other states,” minister said.
However, the suspension of the two drug inspectors and the unhygienic manufacturing conditions inside the premises of Sresan Pharmaceuticals reveals the negligence on the part of the administration and the health department. In fact, the government should have acted immediately before the arrival of the Madhya Pradesh SIT. The 26-page inspection report by the Tamil Nadu Drugs Control Department revealed over 350 violations at Sresan Pharmaceuticals in manufacturing Coldrif. The report also pointed to unhygienic conditions, rusted equipment, and the illegal use of non-pharma-grade chemicals. |
