The Enforcement Directorate carried out raids on Monday at seven locations in Chennailinked to Sresan Pharma and senior officials of the Tamil Nadu Drug Control Departmentunder the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The action is connected to the Coldrif cough syrupcase, which has reportedly caused the deaths of at least 22 children in Madhya Pradeshdue to suspected kidney failure.
ED officials said the searches included the homes of top Tamil Nadu drug control officers as well as the offices and facilities of Sreesan Pharma, the company that made the syrup. The case, which has caused widespread anger across the country, revealed serious gaps in regulatory checks and quality control.
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Arrest of Sresan Pharmaceuticals’ owner
The crackdown comes after the arrest of 73-year-old G Ranganathan, owner of Chennai-based Sresan Pharmaceuticals, which produced the Coldrif syrup. The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) uncovered several violations by both the company and the Tamil Nadu Food and Drug Administration (TNFDA). Despite poor infrastructure and repeated safety lapses, Sresan had been allowed to operate since receiving its license in 2011.
The Coldrif syrup, found to contain deadly levels of diethylene glycol—a chemical often used in antifreeze—has been banned in multiple states. The contaminated syrup is believed to have caused acute kidney failure in children, many of whom had been prescribed it for mild coughs and fevers.
Delhi bans Coldrif Syrup
The Delhi Drugs Control Department has issued a public advisory banning the sale and use of Coldrif Syrup after it was found to be harmful to health. In a notice dated October 10, the department said that a recent government analysis had declared Coldrif Syrup as “Not of Standard Quality.” The drug was found to be adulterated with diethylene glycol, a toxic chemical that makes it unsafe for consumption.
ALSO READAfter Punjab and Bengal, Delhi bans Coldrif cough syrup following child deaths
“As a precautionary measure, all the stakeholders are directed to refrain from dealing in above cough syrup with immediate effect and not to indulge in purchase, sales and distribution of this cough syrup. General public is also hereby, sensitised to abstain from using this cough syrup,” the statement said.
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