Cough Syrup Deaths: ED Raids Coldrif Manufacturer, TNFDA Officials

Chennai: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday raided premises linked to Sresan Pharmaceuticals, the manufacturer of Coldrif cough syrup linked to the deaths of children in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, and top officials of the Tamil Nadu FDA as part of a money laundering investigation, official sources said.

At least seven premises in Chennai are being covered by the Enforcement Directorate as part of the action under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), they said.

Licensed in 2011 by the Tamil Nadu Food and Drug Administration (TNFDA), the Kanchipuram-based Sresan Pharma continued operations unchecked for over a decade despite its dismal infrastructure and multiple violations of national drug safety rules, the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) has said.

Coldrif Syrup (Paracetamol, Phenylephrine Hydrochloride, Chlorpheniramine Maleate Syrup), manufactured in May 2025 by Sresan Pharmaceutical Manufacturer, Tamil Nadu, was found to be adulterated with Diethylene Glycol (46.28 per cent w/v), a toxic chemical known to be harmful to human health. The owner of Sresan Pharmaceuticals, G Ranganathan, was arrested by Madhya Pradesh Police on October 9.

Twenty-two children died in Madhya Pradesh after drinking the adulterated cough syrup. As many as 19 children were from Chhindwara district, two from Betul, and one from Padhurna. Five children affected by the adulterated syrup are currently undergoing treatment at various hospitals in Nagpur. (With PTI Inputs)

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1. Cough Syrup Deaths: Probe Against Coldrif Manufacturer Exposed Lapses By TNFDA
2. Cough Syrup Deaths: Tamil Nadu Uncovered 300 Violations By Sresan Pharma In The Past, Says Health Secretary