CHENNAI: The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) launched extensive raids this Monday across seven locations in Chennai, targeting premises linked to Sresan Pharmaceuticals, the manufacturer of the cough syrup Coldrif. This action is part of a widening money laundering investigation following the tragic deaths of at least 22 children in Madhya Pradesh, allegedly after consuming the contaminated medicine.
Sresan Pharmaceuticals owner G Ranganathan was arrested at his apartment in Kodambakkam, Chennai, by a seven-member team from the Madhya Pradesh Police last week. He was later produced before a court in Madhya Pradesh’s Chhindwara, which sent him to 10 days’ police custody. The agency’s probe is focused on the suspected siphoning of funds, creation of shell companies, and other financial irregularities aimed at laundering illicit profits potentially generated through the sale of substandard or contaminated drugs.
The Union Health Ministry confirmed that Coldrif contained diethylene glycol (DEG), a toxic chemical commonly used in industrial solvents. Even a small amount of DEG can be deadly. The children developed kidney infections after taking Coldrif.
Laboratory tests confirmed that the Coldrif syrup was severely adulterated, containing a lethal amount of the industrial chemical diethylene glycol (DEG). The toxic substance, commonly used in antifreeze, was found at a concentration of 48.6%, which is over 480 times the maximum permissible limit. Ingesting DEG leads to acute kidney failure, the cause of death for the young victims, most of whom were under five years old.
“Ranganathan has argued in court that he had been manufacturing the cough syrup for years without any issues,” a source said.
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