Indian authorities have arrested the owner of Sresan Pharmaceutical Manufacturer following the deaths of at least 17 children in Madhya Pradesh linked to contaminated cough syrup.
The children, all under the age of five, died over the past month after ingesting “Coldrif” syrup, which laboratory tests confirmed contained diethylene glycol – a toxic industrial solvent – at levels nearly 500 times the legal limit.
The company’s owner, S. Ranganathan, was apprehended in Chennai on Wednesday and is set to be transferred to Chhindwara to face charges. The scandal has intensified scrutiny of India’s domestic drug regulation, as the World Health Organization (WHO) warned of a “regulatory gap” in the screening of medicines sold within the country.
While India implemented stricter mandatory testing for exported syrups in 2023 following similar tragedies in Gambia and Uzbekistan, the WHO cautions that domestic oversight remains inconsistent and that tainted batches may still be reaching international markets unofficially.
In a widening crackdown, health officials have also flagged two other syrups, Respifresh and RELIFE, manufactured by Gujarat-based firms Shape Pharma and Rednex Pharmaceuticals, after they were found to contain the same lethal chemical.
As the “pharmacy of the world,” India produces 40% of the generic drugs used in the U.S. and nearly 90% of the medicine supply in many African nations, making the safety of its manufacturing chain a global public health priority.
