TN-based cough syrup manufacturing firm's owner arrested, Madhya Pradesh police takes custody

Chennai, Oct 9 (PTI) A special investigation team (SIT) from Madhya Pradesh, assisted by the Chennai police, arrested Tamil Nadu-based Sresan Pharma Company owner G Ranganathan on Thursday in the adulterated cough syrup case, police said.

Ranganathan was produced before the Saidapet magistrate court here, which granted a transit remand and he is being taken to Chhindwara by Madhya Pradesh police officials, city police sources said.

Two senior state drug inspectors, meanwhile, were suspended for their alleged inaction. The Tamil Nadu government, which had ordered the closure of the firm after the spurious cough syrup Coldrif claimed many lives in Madhya Pradesh, announced that it would decide soon on permanently cancelling the company's licence.

"Immediately after the incident, the state government issued the stop-production order on October 3 and temporarily revoked the company’s manufacturing licence. Criminal action was initiated against the company's owner G Ranganathan on October 7, and he was arrested past midnight on October 8," Tamil Nadu Health Minister Ma Subramanian told reporters.

For its part, the Tamil Nadu government has initiated an inquiry into the violations, especially the use of toxic substances in the cough syrup, and based on the investigation, steps will be taken to permanently close down the pharma company. "A decision will be taken in two-three days to permanently cancel the licence," the Minister said.

The state stopped procuring Coldrif following the adulteration and had even banned its sale in the market from October 1. "Due to our prompt action, a major catastrophe was averted," he added.

Two senior drug inspectors were served notice as to why they had not inspected the Sresan Pharma manufacturing facility for two years, and they were later placed under suspension for inaction, he said.

"Tamil Nadu was the first to confirm the adulteration in Coldrif, and we immediately informed the Union Health Ministry, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, and even Puducherry about the health hazard of consuming the cough syrup," Subramanian told reporters when his attention was drawn to the arrest of Ranganathan today.

A senior police official said the septuagenarian pharma firm owner was detained following a midnight operation and taken to Sunguvarchatram police station, near Chennai, for an inquiry.

According to the police official, the police teams have been searching for Ranganathan since October 7 after the Madhya Pradesh police arrived, and he was finally arrested at 1.30 am on October 9. The police also seized some documents from his Kancheepuram factory.

On October 7, the Sriperumbudur drug control inspector had issued a show-cause notice to the pharma company asking it to explain the discrepancies in the quality and labelling of the medicine. Officials from the TN Directorate of Drugs Control inspected the manufacturing facility and found that the medicines were allegedly stored in “unhygienic conditions” on the corridors, and they noticed certain risk of contamination, he said.

The Tamil Nadu government had sealed the factory after 20 children from Madhya Pradesh died after consuming the alleged toxic cough syrup made in Sresan pharma company. PTI JSP JSP VGN