Introduction
Between August and October 2025, more than 20 children died in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan after consuming cough syrups later found to be contaminated with diethylene glycol (DEG), a toxic industrial solvent known to cause severe kidney damage and death when ingested especially in children. This cough syrup known as Coldrif has been a staggering cause for this unprecedented tragedy. Most cases occurred in Chhindwara, Madhya Pradesh, with additional deaths in neighboring districts and Rajasthan; the reported toll reached at least 21 children, primarily under the age of five. The said cough syrup is a product manufactured by Sreesan Pharmaceuticals located in Tamil Nadu. Authorities have arrested the owner of the pharmaceutical company. Then, advocate Vishal Tiwari filed a PIL in the Supreme Court asking for a full CBI probe across the state, judicial inquiry, immediate reforms in drug safety, a proper national toxicology policy, and mandatory safety testing for all medicines meant for children.
Background
A horrifying series of events and deep-rooted regulatory failures in India’s pharma industry set the stage for the Supreme Court’s decision to reject the PIL seeking a CBI probe into the child deaths caused by contaminated cough syrup. This happened after 21 children in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan died after consuming this cough syrup called “coldrif”. Upon testing it in the lab, it was revealed that it contained an excessive amount of diethylene glycol (DEG), a toxic industrial chemical completely banned in medicines.
Key points
Why the PIL was filed:
Advocate Vishal Tiwari filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) under Article 32 of the Constitution after several children in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Tamil Nadu died from poisonous cough syrups.
PIL’s demand
The Petition requested that a separate CBI investigation be started with the main contention that India’s drug regulation system had failed and the states were wasting precious time.
Seizure of the syrups:
The PIL called for the immediate seizure of all remaining stocks of the cough syrup “Coldrif” and requested a nationwide drug safety review and recall system to stop such incidents in the future.
Issue of poor accountability:
The petitioner said that the current state-level investigations were scattered and inconsistent, which made it easy for drug safety lapses to happen again and again.
Decision:
The Supreme Court dismissed the plea, with Chief Justice B. R. Gavai noting that the lawyer had filed several PILs earlier based mainly on media reports, and this one lacked strong evidence.
Recent Developments
India’s financial crime investigation agency is conducting raids on seven locations linked to Sresan Pharmaceuticals, the maker of the contaminated “Coldrif” cough syrup, on suspicions of money laundering related to the case. Senior officials from the Tamil Nadu drug regulatory authority are also under scrutiny and several states, including Punjab, have banned the manufacture, sale, and distribution of the cough syrup involved, also prohibiting its use by retailers, healthcare institutions, and practitioners
Conclusion
This unfortunate event has given rise to questions being raised on the regulatory gaps that are present in the area of companies that manufacture medicines for children. While the Supreme Court declined to order a CBI investigation, expressing confidence in state-level authorities, ongoing developments including criminal probes, license cancellations, and WHO warnings reflect the severity of the crisis.
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WRITTEN BY S. KAVIYA SRI
