Madhya Pradesh police have launched a special investigation team (SIT) to unravel the deaths of 14 children linked to a contaminated cough syrup, as authorities arrested a doctor for negligence and slapped charges on the manufacturer. The tragedy, centered in Chhindwara district, has exposed gaping flaws in drug regulation and medical oversight, leaving families shattered and the medical community on the brink of a statewide strike.
Dr. Praveen Soni, a local physician running a private clinic, was taken into custody Saturday for allegedly prescribing the deadly Coldrif syrup to children despite early signs of severe side effects, including acute renal failure. Officials revealed he continued the practice for nearly a month even as young patients began falling critically ill. The state government swiftly suspended Soni from service, with Chief Minister Mohan Yadav vowing "strict action" against all culpable parties. Soni and Sresan Pharmaceutical, the Tamil Nadu-based maker of the syrup, now face grave charges under Section 105 (culpable homicide) and Section 276 (drug adulteration) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, alongside Section 27A of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act – offenses carrying potential life sentences.
The poison at the heart of this crisis? Diethylene glycol, a highly toxic industrial solvent detected at a staggering 48.6% concentration in Coldrif Batch SR-13 (manufactured May 2025, expiry April 2027). Tamil Nadu's drug control report from October 2 labeled the syrup "adulterated and injurious to health," prompting an immediate statewide ban in Madhya Pradesh. The FDA ordered the seizure of all stocks and halted sales of other Sresan products pending rigorous testing. Echoing the 2023 national scandal that claimed dozens of young lives, this batch has been tied to 11 deaths in Parasia sub-division, two in Chhindwara city, and one in Chaurai tehsil – with two more fatalities reported Sunday in neighboring Betul district.
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Grief-stricken families clung to small mercies as ex gratia payments of Rs 4 lakh each hit their bank accounts, courtesy of CM Yadav's directive. Yet, the toll mounts: eight surviving children, plucked from the brink, are receiving intensive care in Nagpur – four in a government facility, one at AIIMS, and three in private hospitals. On Sunday, the body of two-year-old Yogita Thakre, the 14th victim, was exhumed at her family's insistence for a detailed post-mortem, as investigators exhume the truth behind the syrup's lethal journey from Kancheepuram factories to innocent medicine cabinets.
A 12-member SIT, spearheaded by Parasia Sub-Divisional Police Officer Jitendra Singh Jat, is gearing up for a high-stakes visit to Sresan Pharmaceutical's Tamil Nadu plant to scrutinize production logs, quality controls, and potential cover-ups. So far, samples from 1,102 children have been swabbed, yielding 4,868 test results out of 5,657 conducted – with contaminated profiles painting a damning picture. Additional samples from the victims are en route to Pune's National Institute of Virology for deeper analysis, while the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) ramps up nationwide inspections of 19 suspect drugs across six states, zeroing in on cough syrups and antibiotics.
The fallout is rippling far beyond hospital wards. Enraged by Soni's arrest, the Indian Medical Association's Chhindwara chapter, led by Kalpana Shukla, issued an ultimatum: release the doctor, or face an indefinite doctors' strike starting Monday, crippling healthcare in the region. "This is an assault on our profession," Shukla declared, as colleagues rallied in solidarity. Politically, the Opposition Congress seized the moment, announcing a fiery sit-in fast at Chhindwara's Fawara Chowk on Monday to slam the BJP government's "apathy and delays." Party leaders decried the "inadequate" compensation and accused authorities of dragging their feet on the rising child mortality, vowing to amplify the families' cries for justice and enhanced relief.
Tamil Nadu, ground zero for the manufacturing debacle, followed suit Friday with its own ban on Coldrif after Madhya Pradesh's alerts intertwined with three similar kidney-related deaths in Rajasthan. Health Minister Vishwajit Kadam emphasized the urgency: "No child should pay with their life for regulatory lapses." As the SIT digs deeper, questions swirl – from how a known toxin slipped past quality gates to why a doctor ignored red flags. With more tests pending and a potential strike looming, Chhindwara – a district of dusty roads and close-knit villages – grapples with unimaginable loss. For the parents who tucked their toddlers in with a seemingly harmless cough remedy, the betrayal cuts deepest: How many more names will etch this syrup's shameful ledger?
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