Cough syrup deaths: Court remands TN-based firm owner in 10-day police custody

Chhindwara: Ranganathan Govindan, owner of Tamil Nadu-based Sresen Pharma that manufactured contaminated cough syrup ‘Coldrif’ linked to the deaths of more than 20 children in Madhya Pradesh, was on Friday remanded in 10-day police custody by a court here.

Ranganathan, who was held in the southern state on Thursday by a Special Investigative Team set up by the MP government, was produced before Additional Session Judge Gautam Gurjar in Parasia town after he was brought on transit remand from a Chennai court, SIT chief Jitendra Jaat said.

The court has remanded Ranganathan Govindan in 10-day police remand, Jaat told PTI.

Additional collector Dhirendra Singh Netri maintained that so far 22 children have died because of “contaminated” Coldrif syrup.

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These children, from Chhindwara and other districts, died due to suspected kidney failure, which is linked to the consumption of ‘toxic’ Coldrif cough syrup, as per officials, adding that some children from the state are undergoing treatment in Nagpur in neighbouring Maharashtra.

The factory in which the cough syrup was manufactured has been sealed, Jaat added.

In action related to the episode, which has made national headlines, the Mohan Yadav government earlier this week suspended two drug inspectors and a deputy director of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

It also transferred the state’s drug controller amid an investigation into the children’s deaths, while police arrested Chhindwara-based Dr Praveen Soni for alleged negligence.

Soni’s bail plea was rejected on Wednesday by a court in Parasia. Incidentally, the Indian Medical Association has opposed the arrest of Dr Soni and its members have sported black bands in protest.

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