Chennai: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday carried out raids at the residence of S. Ranganathan, owner of Tamil Nadu-based Sresan Pharmaceuticals, the manufacturer of Coldrif cough syrup, according to media reports. The syrup has been linked to the deaths of at least 20 children in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, following reports of toxic contamination.

The ED’s Chennai unit also searched seven locations connected to the company under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). In addition, searches were conducted at the homes of senior officials from the Tamil Nadu Drug Control Department.

The raids follow Ranganathan’s recent arrest in Chennai, after a police team from Madhya Pradesh travelled to the city and neighbouring Kanchipuram to detain him. A case had been registered under Sections 105 and 276 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, along with violations under the 27A Act.

Sresan Pharma, which was licensed in 2011 by the Tamil Nadu Food and Drug Administration (TNFDA), had reportedly been operating with inadequate infrastructure and numerous breaches of national drug safety standards. According to the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO), the company continued producing medicines for over a decade without meeting regulatory norms.

Syrup Contained Lethal Chemical

Medical investigations revealed that Coldrif cough syrup was contaminated with Diethylene Glycol (DEG), a toxic industrial solvent known to cause kidney failure. The substance is not meant for medicinal use and is highly poisonous if ingested.

Within hours of consumption, affected children – most of them under the age of five – exhibited symptoms of acute renal failure, rapidly deteriorating before succumbing to the toxic effects.

Bans and Crackdown Across States

In response to the tragedy and rising public outrage, the syrup has been banned across multiple Indian states, including Punjab, Goa, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and Uttarakhand.

Authorities in Madhya Pradesh's Chhindwara district, where several deaths were reported, have sealed five medical stores and dispatched syrup samples for further laboratory testing. Public announcements are being made in rural areas warning parents against giving any cough syrups to children.

Amid the ongoing investigation, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) has raised concerns about what it calls the wrongful implication of some medical practitioners. A number of private doctors are reportedly under scrutiny for prescribing or administering the tainted syrup.