11 Children Died After Drinking Cough Syrup, Doctor in India Arrested

October 6, 2025 | 11:01 am

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - A doctor in Chhindwara, Madhya Pradesh, India has been arrested by the police for prescribing cough syrup that led to the deaths of several children. It was reported by NDTV that 11 children died after allegedly consuming cough syrup Coldrif that had been contaminated.

Most of the children were treated at Praveen Soni's clinic, a pediatrician in Parasia. Soni, a government doctor who prescribed the syrup to the children when they sought treatment at his private clinic, has also been suspended. The government of Madhya Pradesh has also filed a case against Srisan Pharmaceuticals, a company based in Kanchipuram district, Tamil Nadu, which produces the cough syrup Coldrif.

The government had previously banned the sale of Coldrif. Officials said that samples of the medicine were found to contain 48.6 percent diethylene glycol, a highly toxic substance. The syrup sample, which was tested by government drug analysts at the Drug Testing Laboratory in Chennai, was deemed to not meet quality standards by the Tamil Nadu Drug Control Directorate.

As a precautionary measure, the local government banned the sale of Coldrif and another cough medicine, Nextro-DS, on Monday. The test report for Coldrif arrived on Saturday, while the test report for Nextro-DS is still awaited.

According to the grieving families, the children first complained of a cold and mild fever in early September. They were then prescribed routine medication, including cough syrup, and seemed to recover. However, within a few days, their illness recurred, followed by a sudden and worrying decrease in urine production. Their condition then deteriorated into kidney infections, and the children subsequently passed away. Kidney biopsies later revealed contamination of diethylene glycol.

Chief Minister Mohan Yadav described the deaths as extremely tragic. He said stringent action would be taken against those responsible. "The deaths of children in Chhindwara due to Coldrif syrup are truly tragic. The sale of this syrup has been banned throughout Madhya Pradesh. Bans have also been imposed on the sale of other products from the company that produces the syrup," he wrote on X on Saturday.

He said he had requested the government of Tamil Nadu to test Coldrif because the factory producing the cough syrup is located in Kanchipuram. The government has received an investigation report related to the case.

Yadav promised to take strong actions against those involved. Following the tragic deaths of the children, the government has formed a state-level team to investigate the issue. "The guilty parties will not be let off lightly, no matter the cost," said Yadav.

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