Dr. Praveen Soni, arrested in Chhindwara district, Madhya Pradesh, for prescribing the toxic Coldrif syrup that led to the deaths of children, allegedly received a 10% commission for prescribing the medicine, state police told a sessions court.
Dr Soni reportedly got the commission from Sresan Pharmaceutical Manufacturer, a company based in Tamil Nadu that produced the contaminated Coldrif syrup, according to a report by The Indian Express.
On Monday, the Tamil Nadu government ordered the closure of the company and revoked its licence. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) also carried out raids at locations associated with Sresan.
Court denies bail
Additional Sessions Judge Gautam Kumar Gujar, hearing Dr Soni’s bail application, had already denied bail on October 8. The court said the doctor “knowingly prescribed and allowed administration of a dangerous adulterated drug that could cause child deaths, even after the government issued a directive in December 2023 banning such drugs for children under four”.
The police probe report submitted to the court stated that on December 18, 2023, the Directorate General of Health Services issued guidelines forbidding Fixed Dose Combinations (FDCs) for children under four.
“Despite this, Dr Soni allegedly continued prescribing these drugs, including Coldrif syrup, even though it was causing urine retention and kidney failure in children,” the report alleges.
According to the report, 15 children have died so far under his treatment. The report also claimed that Dr Soni received a 10% commission from Sresan for prescribing the syrup.
Doctor denies charges
Dr Soni denied the allegations in court. His lawyer, Pawan Kumar Shukla, said that as a government doctor, he only prescribed medicines during treatment. He added that the contaminated batch was manufactured by the company without Dr Soni’s knowledge.
“Having practised medicine for 35-40 years, he did not knowingly prescribe harmful drugs. Drug quality testing is the responsibility of the Drug Controller Department,” the lawyer said.
Family connections under investigation
The police are also investigating Dr Soni’s family, as they reportedly own a medical store next to his private clinic. The report stated that a family member is also the stockist of Coldrif syrup in Chhindwara.
The investigation will also cover wholesalers and stockists. “Ranganathan, the owner of Sresan Pharmaceutical Manufacturer, has been taken to Tamil Nadu by the Madhya Pradesh SIT for further investigation,” IE reported, quoting a senior police officer.
The FIR against Dr Soni, the Sresan Pharmaceutical directors, and a Jabalpur-based wholesaler was filed on October 4. The Parasia block medical officer, Dr Ankit Sehlam, alleged that several children died after consuming Coldrif syrup containing the toxic chemical Diethylene Glycol.
The report mentioned that several children under five were treated by Dr Soni at the Government Community Health Centre in Parasia for common cold, cough, and fever. After taking the cough syrup, some children developed severe kidney problems, including difficulty urinating and high levels of creatinine and urea. They were referred to Nagpur for further treatment, but many died in September and October.