Chennai police and Madhya Pradesh officials arrested S Ranganathan, the owner of Sresan Pharma, from his factory in Kancheepuram early Thursday morning. This arrest comes on the heels of a very serious public health crisis related to the deaths of more than 20 children associated with tampered Coldrif cough syrup in several Indian states.
Ranganathan had been implicated on October 7 and the police were following his whereabouts through vehicle tracking, financial transaction traces, and through intelligence inputs, and after several days of joint multi-agency operation, the police tracked him and arrested him, and he was taken to the Sunguvarchatram police station for interrogation before he was allowed to be remanded to transit remand by the court to be taken to Chhindwara — the location of the investigation.
Devastating Impact and Community Outrage
The tragedy over Coldrif cough syrup in Madhya Pradesh has resulted in at least 20 confirmed deaths. Chhindwara reported seventeen deaths, Pandhurna one, and Betul two. Three other children — Dhani Deharia (1.5 years), Jyanshu Yaduvanshi (2 years), and Vedansh Pawar (2.5 years) — died within the last 24 hours of acute renal failure due to complications from the syrup.
MORE ON THIS : Cough Syrup Deaths: CDSCO Inspects 6 States After Child Tragedy
Medical examinations have identified toxic chemicals in the syrup that have caused acute renal injury and kidney failure within hours of consumption. Five other children are getting treatment in corrective care in hospitals in Nagpur.
In response, the state government has shut down five pharmacies and in an immediate advisory has warned parents not to give any cough syrup to their children, particularly children younger than four.
Regulatory Measures and Controversy
In the aftermath of the crisis, the Tamil Nadu government closed the Sresan Pharma, and banned Coldrif syrup throughout the state on October 1, requesting immediate disposal of stocks. Officials also identified two other syrups — Respifresh TR and ReLife — to be dangerous.
The Drug Control Inspector of Sriperumbudur has issued a show-cause notice to Sresan Pharma following findings of poor hygiene and improper storage practices at its manufacturing facility, raising further questions over regulatory oversight in the wake of the contamination scare.
Political and Public Responses
The case has caused outrage in India, and political parties have poured in with fierceness. The Congress party demanded ₹1 crore for every affected family and asked for accountability from the government for negligence.” The BJP is ensuring transparency while also ensuring the investigation takes place and it punishes whoever is at fault.
Indian Medical Association (IMA) raised red flags over the wrongful suspicion of a few doctors, threatening to strike if they were not held accountable. In contrast, Deputy Chief Minister Rajendra Shukla urged doctors not to strike and instead follow government guidelines advising against prescribing cold syrups for young children.
The Road Ahead
The tragedy has reopened the dialogue about the issues of drug safety, manufacturing regulation, and accountability of drug companies in India. Authorities have committed to finding out what happened with the Coldrif cough syrup deaths, with the arrest of S Ranganathan being an important step in the direction of justice.
For the Indian public, this tragedy is a call to action for the need for stricter checks for quality, more regulatory removals to industry, and greater vigilance of safety production and distribution.
FOR MORE : https://civiclens.in/category/national-news-civiclens-in/
About the Author
