A seven-member police squad from Madhya Pradesh has detained G. Ranganathan, the 73-year-old proprietor of Sresan Pharmaceuticals, from Chennai for his suspected involvement in the deaths of 21 children allegedly due to the company’s poisonous Coldrif cough syrup. Officials said on Thursday that the arrest had been made, which was a breakthrough in the case.
Who Is G. Ranganathan
Ranganathan, a Madras Medical College pharmacy graduate, has been in India’s pharmaceutical sector for more than four decades. He started his career by marketing a well-known nutritional supplement named Pronit, which was being highly prescribed to pregnant women and children in Chennai in the early 1980s. Ranganathan initially visited paediatricians in person to describe Pronit’s advantages. The syrup became very popular but soon found itself at odds with the state drug control department, which raised an alert that the product needed official sanction from the government because certain ingredients needed licenses.
Industrial clearances obtained, Ranganathan diversified his business activities and later ventured into liquid nasal formulations, setting up a series of small-scale production units in Chennai. He eventually rose to lead Sresan Pharmaceuticals and maintained links with Ceego Labs, while some of his close associates managed another company, Iven Healthcare. In Chennai’s pharma circles, he was known for mentoring young entrepreneurs and being an influential industry figure. However, this long-standing reputation has now been overshadowed by the Coldrif cough syrup scandal.
How a Chennai Pharma Veteran’s Career Turned Into a Scandal
What was once a name to be believed in the drug industry, Ranganathan’s name fell under suspicion after reports established his firm’s product as the cause of several child deaths in Madhya Pradesh. What was originally a small family-based enterprise became a horrific case of negligence and poisonous contamination at the cost of innocent lives. After the death outbreak, the authorities sealed Sresan’s 2,000 sq ft manufacturing facility on the Chennai–Bengaluru highway. The company’s registered office in Kodambakkam was found locked. Local residents reported that the once-bustling office was emptied overnight, with staff seen moving computers and equipment late at night just days before Ranganathan’s arrest.
Toxic Chemical Found in Coldrif Syrup: What Lab Tests Revealed
Laboratory analysis done in Tamil Nadu proved that Coldrif cough syrup had 48.6% diethylene glycol, a harmful chemical commonly utilized in antifreeze and brake fluids. The report, which was submitted by the Director of Drugs Control, Tamil Nadu, on October 4, labeled the syrup (Batch No. SR-13, produced in May 2025 and expiring in April 2027) as “Not of Standard Quality” and “adulterated.”
Experts added that the chemical can result in acute kidney failure, neurological injury, and death upon ingestion. As a reaction, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav issued an instant ban on the sale of Coldrif syrup and widened the ban to all Sresan Pharmaceuticals products.
Madhya Pradesh Government Bans All Sresan Pharmaceuticals Products
Following the confirmation of toxic poisoning, the government of Madhya Pradesh moved swiftly by prohibiting all drugs manufactured by Sresan Pharmaceuticals. The move was a measure to stop the further supply of the contaminated batch and protect people throughout the state.
FDA Orders Crackdown and Seizure of Contaminated Syrup Stocks
The Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) issued immediate orders instructing inspectors to seize all Coldrif syrup inventories, immediately suspend sales, and take samples from other products for further laboratory examinations. Inspectors were instructed to freeze all supplies discovered in the market and prevent additional sale and distribution. In addition, sales of all Sresan-produced medicines were suspended pending the conclusion of the ongoing investigation.
How the Madhya Pradesh Deaths Due to Coldrif Cough Syrup Were Uncovered
The crisis originally broke in late August 2025, when some children in Parasia and surrounding villages in Madhya Pradesh’s Chhindwara district fell ill with acute kidney failure after they were given treatment for light fever and cold. Most of the victims were unfortunately under five years old. Locally popular two medicine brands temporarily came under suspension as a precaution. Later testing, however, showed that the causative agent was Coldrif syrup produced more than 1,000 km away in Tamil Nadu.
Tragedy That Unmasked India’s Drug Safety Loopholes
What started as a routine medication for simple coughs became a national tragedy, pointing to India’s persistent issues with pharmaceutical safety and quality control. The arrest of G. Ranganathan marks the beginning of a broader crackdown on illegal drug manufacturing, and officials have promised tough action against all parties responsible for this lethal sloppiness. Coldrif cough syrup deaths have revealed alarming loopholes in India’s drug control system. With probes ongoing, this episode is a grim reminder of the necessity for increased monitoring, transparency, and accountability in the pharma sector.
