The Tamil Nadu government on Monday fully revoked the manufacturing license of Sresan Pharmaceuticals and ordered the immediate shutdown of the company’s facility. This decisive action follows a damning investigation that linked a contaminated batch of the company’s Coldrif cough syrup to the tragic deaths of several children in Madhya Pradesh.
The crisis escalated after lab tests confirmed the presence of Diethylene Glycol (DEG)—a highly toxic chemical—in the cough syrup, a finding that has historically been associated with mass poisoning incidents. The owner of the Kanchipuram-based firm, Raja Ranganathan, has already been arrested in connection with the case.
Timeline of the Coldrif Cough Syrup Crisis and Crackdown
Early October 2025: Initial Suspicion and Deaths Reported Health authorities in Madhya Pradesh reported the deaths of multiple children, with early suspicions pointing to a contaminated batch of Coldrif cough syrup, a commonly prescribed pediatric medication marketed by Sresan Pharmaceuticals of Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu. Samples were immediately dispatched for laboratory testing.
October 5-7: Toxic Chemical Confirmed Tests conducted by the Tamil Nadu Drug Control Department shockingly confirmed the presence of 48.6 per cent Diethylene Glycol (DEG) in the cough syrup. This percentage is drastically beyond permissible limits. Diethylene glycol is an industrial solvent that is toxic and can cause severe kidney impairment. Following the confirmed contamination, several states initiated a ban on the cough syrup, and the central government issued an advisory urging states not to prescribe cough and cold medications to children below two years.
October 8-10: 300+ Violations Uncovered at Facility Tamil Nadu’s Drug Control Department conducted a surprise inspection of Sresan Pharmaceuticals’ manufacturing facility. Officials uncovered over 300 violations of essential quality standards, including breaches of Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and Good Laboratory Practices (GLP). The violations spanned poor hygiene, improper record-keeping, and a fundamental lack of quality control mechanisms.
October 11: Company Owner Arrested A special investigation team from Madhya Pradesh, which had previously announced a reward of ₹20,000 for information leading to his capture, successfully arrested Raja Ranganathan, the owner of Sresan Pharmaceuticals. He faces serious charges, including culpable homicide and violations of drug safety laws, with the Madhya Pradesh police alleging the company supplied adulterated medicine without adequate quality checks, directly leading to the deaths.
October 13: License Revoked and ED Raids The crisis culminated with two major actions on Monday:
- The Tamil Nadu government officially canceled the drug manufacturing license of Sresan Pharmaceuticals and mandated the immediate closure of its facility.
- The Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted raids at the company’s premises and associated locations under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), signaling potential financial irregularities connected to the distribution and sale of the adulterated drugs.
The state government’s statement confirming the closure also announced that directives have been issued for a comprehensive review of all pharmaceutical manufacturing units in Tamil Nadu to prevent any recurrence of similar deadly incidents.