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Two children have died in Madhya Pradesh’s Betul district in recent days, with their deaths now suspected to be caused by kidney failure resulting from the consumption of the now-banned Coldrif cough syrup. The syrup was found to contain 48.6% Diethylene Glycol (DEG), a highly toxic substance that poses severe health risks, especially to children.
With the two deaths in Betul, the total death toll in Madhya Pradesh has risen to 16. This includes 14 deaths in Chhindwara district—11 in the Parasia subdivision, two in Chhindwara town, and one in Chaurai tehsil.
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Meanwhile, the police have registered an FIR and arrested government doctor Dr Praveen Soni for allegedly prescribing the Coldrif syrup to children despite knowing its harmful effects. He has also been accused of practicing privately while holding a government post.
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According to Chhindwara SP Ajay Pandey, Dr Soni was arrested late Saturday night. Following his arrest, the state health department suspended him with immediate effect and attached him to the office of the Regional Director of Health Services at Jabalpur.
The police have also filed an FIR against the manufacturer, Sresan Pharmaceuticals, based in Kancheepuram, Tamil Nadu.
The action came shortly after Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav announced on Saturday that the government was treating the incident with utmost seriousness and that strict action would be taken against all those responsible for the deaths.
According to the SP, the case was registered at Parasia police station under sections 276 (adulteration of drugs) and 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), carrying penalties of up to one year and 10 years of imprisonment respectively.
The accused have also been charged under Section 27A of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, which prescribes over 10 years’ imprisonment or life term for using adulterated drugs causing death.
A special team from Kotwali police arrested Dr Soni from Rajpal Chowk in Chhindwara late Saturday night after the FIR was registered.
SP Pandey said that the doctor showed gross negligence by prescribing the syrup to children for nearly a month despite being aware of its adverse effects. The manufacturer has also been booked for supplying contaminated medicine.
The two child deaths in Amla tehsil of Betul occurred on 8 September and 1 October.
According to Amla Block Medical Officer Dr Ashok Narware, four-year-old Kabir, son of Kamlesh from Kalmeshwar village, and two-and-a-half-year-old Garmit, son of Nikhlesh from Jamun Bichhua village, were taken to Parasia in the neighbouring Chhindwara district for fever treatment, where their condition deteriorated.
Family members of Kabir alleged that his death followed the consumption of Coldrif syrup prescribed by Dr Soni. Kabir died on 8 September in Bhopal. His relatives said he was first taken to Dr Soni on 24 August for fever.
When his condition did not improve, they consulted two other doctors in Parasia who indicated kidney complications. The boy was later taken to Nagpur and then to Bhopal, where he succumbed.
Another child, Garmit, died on 1 October in his village while under treatment. His family had also earlier consulted Dr Soni, Dr Narware said. Both children developed symptoms of kidney failure and abdominal swelling and were referred from Betul to Bhopal for advanced care, he added.
Dr Narware stated that no post-mortems were conducted, but reports of severe kidney complications were sent to the Chief Medical and Health Officer (CMHO).
Amla SDM Shailendra Badonia confirmed the deaths and said the administration is collecting detailed information on the cases.
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