The owner of Tamil Nadu-based Sresan Pharma, the company that manufactured the adulterated Coldrif cough syrup linked to the death of 20 children, has been detained by the Madhya Pradesh Police in Chennai, NDTV reports.
The accused, identified as Ranganathan, was taken into custody this morning following a statewide manhunt.
A case had been filed against the company, whose Coldrif cough syrup led to the death of 20 children in Madhya Pradesh, with a Rs 20,000 reward announced for his arrest.
This development comes after investigations Tamil Nadu Drugs Control Authority, which revealed shocking violations at the company's Kancheepuram factory in Tamil Nadu.
In the factory, investigators found unbilled containers of diethylene glycol (DEG), a toxic industrial solvent used in printing ink and adhesives.
Tests had earlier confirmed that Sresan Pharma had added 46–48% of DEG to Coldrif cough syrup, far exceeding the permitted limit of 0.1%. This made the cough syrup fatally poisonous.
Authorities also found that Sresan Pharma had no Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) certification, which is necessary for a pharma company to manufacture and sell medicines.
After the findings, the Tamil Nadu Drugs Control Authority issued a stop-production order and froze all the company's stocks. They also issued a show-cause notice and suspended Sresan Pharma's license.
The tainted drug has led to deaths not only in Madhya Pradesh but also to suspected fatalities in Rajasthan.
This led to nationwide action against the Coldrif cough syrup, with at least nine states now banning the syrup, in an attempt to curb the distribution of the stocks that are already out in the market.
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