Coldrif Tragedy: Pharma Owner Arrested After 20 Children’s Deaths in Madhya Pradesh, CM Mohan Yadav Orders Crackdown

Indore: In a major breakthrough, Madhya Pradesh Police have arrested S. Ranganathan, the owner of a Tamil Nadu-based pharmaceutical company that produced the Coldrif cough syrup, which has been linked to the tragic deaths of 20 children across the state.

According to Chhindwara SP, Ranganathan was detained in Tamil Nadu and will be presented before a Chennai court today. Police will seek a transit remand to bring him to Chhindwara for further questioning.

Confirming the grim toll, Deputy Chief Minister and Health Minister Rajendra Shukla said on Wednesday, “20 children have lost their lives in the unfortunate incident from Chhindwara, Betul, and Pandhurna districts. The state government is quite strict. Police teams from Chhindwara have reached Chennai and Kanchipuram to arrest the owner of the Coldrif manufacturing company, and strict action is being taken into the matter.”

Of the 20 fatalities, 17 were from Chhindwara, two from Betul, and one from Pandhurna. Five other children remain under medical treatment.

The tragedy has sparked widespread outrage, with doctors and Indian Medical Association (IMA) representatives holding a protest in Chhindwara demanding the release of Dr. Praveen Soni, a government pediatrician from Civil Hospital, Parasia. Dr. Soni was suspended and later sent to 14-day judicial custody for alleged negligence related to the case.

In response to the growing public anger, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav convened a high-level meeting at his Bhopal residence on Monday. He announced the suspension of two drug inspectors, the Deputy Director of Food and Drug Administration, and the transfer of a drug controller for failing to act promptly.

The CM also ordered an immediate statewide ban on the sale of Coldrif syrup and directed officials to seize all existing stock from pharmacies. He further instructed authorities to conduct door-to-door searches in affected areas to recover any remaining bottles of the deadly cough syrup.