The series of child deaths in Madhya Pradesh’s Betul and Chhindwara districts has also led to the arrest of the wife of a local doctor, Dr. Parveen Soni, following the alleged sale of toxic cough syrup from their medical store.
A Special Investigation Team (SIT) has arrested Jyoti Soni, the wife of Dr. Praveen Soni, alleging her role in supplying the syrup from the family’s medical store. Police told reporters that Jyoti Soni received a 27% commission for selling the product, and investigators are probing links between her and the manufacturer. She was apparently trying for bail as soon as her husband got arrested but was rejected bail multiple times. Dr. Praveen Soni also received a 10% extra commission for prescribing the medicine allegedly. The FIR names Dr. Praveen Soni, the directors of the manufacturer Sresan Pharmaceuticals (a Tamil Nadu-based company), and a Jabalpur-based wholesaler.
At least 24 children in the Parasia subdivision and parts of Betul and Chhindwara districts in Madhya Pradesh died after receiving treatment that included the cough syrup Coldrif, according to police and local health officials. Several more children were reported to have developed kidney failure and other serious symptoms after taking the syrup.
Police and health officials have alleged that the implicated Coldrif batch was contaminated with a toxic adulterant consistent with diethylene glycol (DEG)–type poisoning, which can cause acute kidney injury and metabolic collapse in children. Authorities are sending syrup samples for forensic analysis to confirm the chemical composition and trace the supply chain to the manufacturer. Investigators have specifically referenced Sresan Pharmaceuticals as the manufacturer of the contaminated batch under inquiry.
Children affected after consuming the syrup reportedly developed difficulty urinating, raised serum creatinine and urea, and features of acute kidney injury; several were referred from Parasia to higher-centres in Nagpur where they later died in September and October. DEG poisoning typically presents with gastrointestinal symptoms followed by renal failure and neurologic compromise; treatment requires intensive supportive care and, in some cases, dialysis.
In response to the deaths, the state government constituted an SIT and directed extensive inspections of drug shops and wholesalers. The state Food and Drug Administration and police are working to identify all distribution points for the implicated Coldrif batches and to determine whether the same batches reached other regions. Officials have said further arrests are possible depending on forensic results and tracing of the supply chain.
Contamination of cough syrups with toxic solvents such as diethylene glycol has produced mass-poisoning events globally in past decades. International health agencies emphasise strict quality controls for pharmaceutical excipients (glycerin, propylene glycol) and cautious regulation of small manufacturers and distributors to prevent substitution with toxic alternatives. Health authorities in India have restarted sample testing, auditing and stricter checks on small-scale producers following this incident.
(Rh/TL/MSM)
