The death toll in toxic cough syrup case in Madhya Pradesh rose to 23 after one-year-old Garvik, son of Babu Pawar, a resident of Mordogri Parasia in Chhindwara, died while undergoing treatment at Nagpur Medical College on Thursday afternoon. Meanwhile, Govindan Ranganathan, Director of Sresan Pharma, the company that manufactured Coldrif cough syrup, has been arrested. The Special Investigation Team (SIT) formed by the Madhya Pradesh Government reached Chennai on Wednesday night and apprehended Ranganathan. The SIT also seized important documents, drug samples and production records from the company. Ranganathan carried a reward of Rs 20,000. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court is expected to hear a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking an investigation into the case on Friday. Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav visited Nagpur and enquired about the well-being of four children admitted to hospitals and spoke with their families.

 

Ambika Vishwakarma is undergoing treatment at New Health City Hospital, while Kunal Yaduvanshi and Harsh Yaduvanshi are undergoing treatment at AIIMS Nagpur. After meeting the children, the Chief Minister said, “The MP police made arrests in Tamil Nadu, but the Tamil Nadu Government is not cooperating with us. The pharmaceutical company is fully responsible for this. We also removed the drug controller, suspended the assistant controller and took action against the doctor who prescribed the syrup.” “Commenting on the Congress party’s attitude in this matter, the CM said, “Those who are talking should go to Tamil Nadu and protest. How was the factory granted a drug license? How was it renewed once it was granted?

 

How was such a large factory built in such a small space? If Rahul Gandhi wants to go, he should go to Tamil Nadu.” Chhindwara Mayor Speaks Out: Will Not Celebrate His Birthday Chhindwara Mayor Vikram Ahake has stated that he will not celebrate his birthday on October 10 in the light of the tragic deaths. He has appealed to supporters to collect donations from cakes, bouquets, fireworks, flex and gifts and donate them to the families of the victims. A box will be installed at the mayor’s residence for donations. No Bill, No Entry for Chemical Purchase: Meanwhile, a major revelation has been made in the investigation of Coldrif syrup. A report from Tamil Nadu Director of Drugs Control has revealed that the syrup was made from non-pharmaceutical grade chemicals. During the investigation, the company owner verbally admitted that he purchased two 50-kilogram bags of propylene glycol in two batches. This means the company purchased 100 kilograms of the toxic chemical. No bill, no purchase entry, was found during the investigation. During interrogation, investigating officers were told that payments were sometimes made in cash and sometimes through Google Pay (G-Pay).

 

The quantity of the toxic chemical was 486 times higher. The pharmaceutical company purchased substandard propylene glycol. It was never tested. Shockingly, the company has neither purchase bills nor records of the chemicals used. Lab tests also revealed that the presence of toxic chemicals like diethylene glycol (DEG) and ethylene glycol (EG) in the syrup was 486 times higher than the prescribed limit. An expert, speaking on condition of anonymity, stated that this quantity is not only fatal for children but can also damage the kidneys and brain of an animal the size of an elephant. The chemical was purchased in March - According to the investigation report, the company purchased propylene glycol from Sunrise Biotech in Chennai on March 25, 2025. It was of non-pharmaceutical grade, meaning it was not suitable for making medicines.

 

Despite this, the company neither checked its purity nor tested the amount of diethylene glycol or ethylene glycol in it. Attempt to conceal documents: The Tamil Nadu Drugs Control Department found that several medicines were manufactured using this substandard chemical. During the inspection, the investigation team continued its investigation. They found that the company had no stock of propylene glycol at that time. This further deepened the suspicion that the company had attempted to conceal documents by rapidly eliminating the chemical. The Tamil Nadu Drug Control Authority stated that this investigation was extremely necessary in the interest of public safety, as medicines made using non-pharmaceutical grade chemicals can be fatal to children and adults. 589 bottles of Coldrif were to be sent to Chhindwara: The investigation team found 589 60 ml bottles of Coldrif syrup, batch number SR-13, at Srisan Pharmaceuticals.

 

These were prepared for shipment to Chhindwara. Drinking syrup from this batch number caused kidney failure and brain swelling in the children, leading to their deaths. These syrups were manufactured in May 2025. Their expiry date is April 2027. The investigation team found 5,870 bottles of syrup - The investigation team found four more syrups besides Coldrif at the pharmaceutical company’s manufacturing site. These included 1,534 bottles of Respolite D, 2,800 bottles of Respolite GL, 736 bottles of Respolite ST, and 800 bottles of Hepsandin syrup. However, upon examination, these were found to be of standard quality.