Supreme Court Seeks CBI Probe into Cough Syrup Deaths

Supreme Court Seeks CBI Probe into Cough Syrup Deaths

New Delhi: A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been filed in the Supreme Court demanding a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the deaths of children in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan linked to contaminated cough syrup. The PIL, submitted by advocate Vishal Tiwari, highlights the tragic loss of at least 14 children, primarily from Nagpur in Maharashtra and Chhindwara in Madhya Pradesh, after consuming Coldrif Cough Syrup, produced by Sresan Pharma Pvt. Ltd., a Tamil Nadu-based company.

Laboratory tests by the Madhya Pradesh government revealed the presence of Diethylene Glycol (DEG), a toxic substance banned for pharmaceutical use, in the cough syrup. The petition criticizes the Union Government and the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) for not issuing an immediate recall of the product, allowing potentially harmful medicines to remain in circulation.

The PIL calls for the establishment of a National Judicial Commission or Expert Committee, led by a retired Supreme Court judge, to investigate the manufacturing, regulation, and distribution of contaminated syrups. It also seeks to transfer all pending FIRs related to these deaths to the CBI for a thorough and coordinated investigation.

In addition, the petition urges the immediate recall and prohibition of all batches of Coldrif Cough Syrup and any other products from Sresan Pharma until they pass safety checks by independent laboratories. It also requests nationwide testing of syrup-based medications for the presence of DEG and Ethylene Glycol (EG), with results made public for transparency.

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has also intervened, issuing notices to health officials in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan regarding serious lapses in drug safety. The NHRC has directed a comprehensive investigation into the supply chain of the alleged spurious drugs and has called for immediate action to ban these products.

This situation echoes previous incidents in Gambia and Uzbekistan, where DEG-contaminated Indian syrups were linked to numerous child fatalities, raising concerns about regulatory failures in the pharmaceutical industry.