TN govt shuts down Sresan Pharmaceutical, revokes licence over cough syrup Coldrif row
According to the state’s Drug Control Department, laboratory analysis confirmed that the syrup contained 48.6% diethylene glycol (DEG), a toxic industrial solvent that can cause acute kidney failure and death.
New Delhi | Updated: October 14, 2025 04:10 AM IST
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The Drugs Department sealing the Coldrif cough syrup containers after children allegedly die due to consuming it during raid in an Ayush firm, in Chhindwara on Sunday. (ANI Video Grab).
The Tamil Nadu government on Monday revoked the manufacturing licences of Sresan Pharmaceuticals, the maker of Coldrif cough syrup linked to the deaths of at least 23 children in MP and other states and ordered the company’s permanent closure.
According to the state’s Drug Control Department, laboratory analysis confirmed that the syrup contained 48.6% diethylene glycol (DEG), a toxic industrial solvent that can cause acute kidney failure and death. Officials also found that the company had violated over 300 Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) and Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) standards.
The facility, located off the Chennai-Bangalore Highway in Sunguvarchatram near Sriperumbudur, has long operated as a modest structure, its closed windows and dusty floors belying its role as a pharmaceutical unit. When The Indian Express visited the facility a week ago, the plant looked more like a petty shop than a medicine factory. Neighbours said women workers in green uniforms used to arrive each morning and leave at dusk. Blue Roquette Liquid Glucose barrels, half-burnt syrup bottles, and charred labels were still visible inside and behind the locked building, remnants of what officials called a hurried clean-up.
Following a letter from MP’s Food and Drug Administration controller, Tamil Nadu authorities launched a probe into the manufacturing of the cough syrup on October 1. Samples from Coldrif Syrup (Batch No. SR-13) were sent to the Government Drugs Testing Laboratory in Chennai. Within 24 hours, the report declared the syrup “Not of Standard Quality and Adulterated”. The state government subsequently banned the sale of the syrup across Tamil Nadu and alerted authorities in Odisha and Puducherry, where the same batch had been distributed. By October 3, a stop-production order was issued, the factory sealed, and a show-cause notice pasted on its walls demanding explanations from the owner, Dr G Ranganathan, and analytical chemist K Maheswari.
Ranganathan, 75, was later arrested in Chennai on October 9 by the MP SIT, assisted by Tamil Nadu police.
Arun Janardhanan is an experienced and authoritative Tamil Nadu correspondent for The Indian Express. Based in the state, his reporting combines ground-level access with long-form clarity, offering readers a nuanced understanding of South India’s political, judicial, and cultural life - work that reflects both depth of expertise and sustained authority.
Expertise
Geographic Focus: As Tamil Nadu Correspondent focused on politics, crime, faith and disputes, Janardhanan has been also reporting extensively on Sri Lanka, producing a decade-long body of work on its elections, governance, and the aftermath of the Easter Sunday bombings through detailed stories and interviews.
Key Coverage Areas:
State Politics and Governance: Close reporting on the DMK and AIADMK, the emergence of new political actors such as actor Vijay’s TVK, internal party churn, Centre–State tensions, and the role of the Governor.
Legal and Judicial Affairs: Consistent coverage of the Madras High Court, including religion-linked disputes and cases involving state authority and civil liberties.
Investigations: Deep-dive series on landmark cases and unresolved questions, including the Tirupati encounter and the Rajiv Gandhi assassination, alongside multiple investigative series from Tamil Nadu.
Culture, Society, and Crisis: Reporting on cultural organisations, language debates, and disaster coverage—from cyclones to prolonged monsoon emergencies—anchored in on-the-ground detail.
His reporting has been recognised with the Ramnath Goenka Award for Excellence in Journalism.
Beyond journalism, Janardhanan is also a screenwriter; his Malayalam feature film Aarkkariyam was released in 2021. ... Read More
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