The Enforcement Directorate carried out raids on Monday at seven locations in Chennai linked to Sresan Pharma and senior officials of the Tamil Nadu Drug Control Department under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The action is connected to the Coldrif cough syrup case, which has reportedly caused the deaths of at least 22 children in Madhya Pradesh due to suspected kidney failure.
ED officials said the searches included the homes of top Tamil Nadu drug control officers as well as the offices and facilities of Sreesan Pharma, the company that made the syrup. The case, which has caused widespread anger across the country, revealed serious gaps in regulatory checks and quality control.
Arrest of Sresan Pharmaceuticals’ owner
The crackdown comes after the arrest of 73-year-old G Ranganathan, owner of Chennai-based Sresan Pharmaceuticals, which produced the Coldrif syrup. The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) uncovered several violations by both the company and the Tamil Nadu Food and Drug Administration (TNFDA). Despite poor infrastructure and repeated safety lapses, Sresan had been allowed to operate since receiving its license in 2011.
The Coldrif syrup, found to contain deadly levels of diethylene glycol—a chemical often used in antifreeze—has been banned in multiple states. The contaminated syrup is believed to have caused acute kidney failure in children, many of whom had been prescribed it for mild coughs and fevers.
Ranganathan’s 2,000 sq ft manufacturing facility on the Chennai-Bengaluru highway has been sealed, while his Kodambakkam office was cleared out last week, reportedly with equipment removed overnight. Drug inspectors are now confiscating the remaining Coldrif stock, testing other batches, and tracing the company’s distribution network.
Authorities are also probing potential links between Sresan Pharma, Ceego Labs, and Iven Healthcare. Though formal charges are still pending, Ranganathan is likely to face accusations of culpable homicide and violations of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act for supplying contaminated medicine that led to multiple deaths.
Delhi bans Coldrif Syrup
The Delhi Drugs Control Department has issued a public advisory banning the sale and use of Coldrif Syrup after it was found to be harmful to health. In a notice dated October 10, the department said that a recent government analysis had declared Coldrif Syrup as “Not of Standard Quality.” The drug was found to be adulterated with diethylene glycol, a toxic chemical that makes it unsafe for consumption.
“As a precautionary measure, all the stakeholders are directed to refrain from dealing in above cough syrup with immediate effect and not to indulge in purchase, sales and distribution of this cough syrup. General public is also hereby, sensitised to abstain from using this cough syrup,” the statement said.
The crisis started in late August, when more than a dozen children in Chhindwara, Madhya Pradesh, suffered sudden kidney failure after consuming Coldrif syrup. The death toll eventually rose to 22, prompting Tamil Nadu drug authorities to test Batch SR-13 (manufactured May 2025, expiry April 2027), which was found to contain dangerous levels of diethylene glycol.