Tamil Nadu Cancels License of Sresan Pharma After Coldrif Syrup Tragedy Linked to 22 Deaths
PakkaHyderabadi 
The Tamil Nadu Drugs Control Department has revoked Sresan Pharmaceuticals’ license following the detection of toxic chemicals in Coldrif cough syrup, which has been linked to child deaths in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.
The Tamil Nadu Drugs Control Department on Sunday cancelled the manufacturing license of Sresan Pharmaceuticals, the company that produced Coldrif cough syrup, which has been linked to the deaths of at least 22 people in Madhya Pradesh and three children in Rajasthan.
The decision follows laboratory findings confirming the presence of Diethylene Glycol (DEG) — a highly toxic industrial solvent — in samples of the cough syrup. The contamination is believed to have caused kidney failure among children who consumed the product.
The State Health Department said Sresan Pharmaceuticals’ operations have been permanently shut down following an internal probe. “Comprehensive inspections have been ordered across all pharmaceutical manufacturing units in Tamil Nadu to ensure compliance with quality and safety standards,” the department stated.
Large-scale inspections are currently underway across the state’s drug manufacturing facilities.
Sresan Pharma Owner in Police Custody
The owner of Sresan Pharmaceuticals, Ranganathan, was arrested on October 9 in Chennai by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) from Madhya Pradesh and later remanded to 10-day police custody by a Parasia court.
Two senior drug inspectors in Tamil Nadu have been suspended for negligence, while a full review of the state’s pharmaceutical oversight system has been ordered.
Opposition Criticises Government’s “Illusion of Action”
BJP state president K. Annamalai criticised the Tamil Nadu government for its handling of the incident, accusing it of attempting to “evade responsibility.”
“A drug manufactured by a company in Kanchipuram caused 23 deaths in Madhya Pradesh and three in Rajasthan. Yet, the state government has only suspended two drug inspectors and is pretending to have no role in this tragedy,” said Annamalai.
He added that Sresan Pharmaceuticals had a history of quality control violations that were ignored by state authorities.
DCGI Issues National Directive for Mandatory Drug Testing
In the wake of the Coldrif tragedy, the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) has ordered all States and Union Territories to ensure strict compliance with the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1945.
The new directive mandates mandatory testing of all raw materials and finished formulations before market approval to prevent future contamination-related deaths.
The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) is also conducting risk-based inspections at 19 drug manufacturing units across six states, including Tamil Nadu.
