The Enforcement Directorate conducted searches at seven locations linked to Sresan Pharmaceuticals and top Tamil Nadu FDA officials over alleged money laundering related to the Coldrif cough syrup case.
Coldrif, found to contain the toxic chemical diethylene glycol (DEG), has been blamed for the deaths of at least 20 children in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.
Despite poor infrastructure and repeated safety violations, Sresan Pharma continued operations for over a decade under a 2011 TNFDA licence; its owner was arrested last week.
ED Raids Chennai-Based Sresan Pharma, Maker Of Coldrif Syrup Linked To Child Deaths
The raids, conducted under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), covered at least seven premises across the city.
Summary
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday carried out searches at multiple locations in Chennai linked to Sresan Pharmaceuticals — the manufacturer of Coldrif cough syrup, which has been blamed for the deaths of several children in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan — as well as top officials of the Tamil Nadu Food and Drug Administration (TNFDA), officials said.
The raids, conducted under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), covered at least seven premises across the city, according to PTI.
At least 20 children, most of them under five years old, have died after being administered the cough syrup in the two states.
Laboratory tests later found the syrup to be contaminated with diethylene glycol (DEG), a toxic industrial solvent that can cause acute kidney failure and death when ingested.
Sresan Pharmaceuticals, based in Kanchipuram, was licensed by the TNFDA in 2011. Despite repeated violations of national drug safety norms and poor manufacturing standards, the company continued its operations unchecked for more than a decade, according to findings by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO).
The ED action follows the arrest of Sresan Pharma’s owner, G. Ranganathan, by the Madhya Pradesh Police on October 9 in connection with the deaths.
Officials said the searches are aimed at uncovering evidence of financial irregularities and possible proceeds of crime related to the illegal production and sale of the adulterated medicine.
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