ED raids Coldrif manufacturer, TNFDA officials

Chennai: The 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.

At least 20 children, mostly under the age of five, have died after being administered Coldrif in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.

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.

The cough syrup was found to be "dangerously" adulterated with diethylene glycol (DEG), a highly poisonous substance.

The owner of Sresan Pharmaceuticals, G Ranganathan, was arrested by Madhya Pradesh Police on October 9.