Cough syrup deaths: Supreme Court to hear plea seeking CBI probe as toll continues to rise

The Supreme Court on Thursday, Oct 9, agreed to hear a plea seeking a court-monitored probe and investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) as two more children died in Madhya Pradesh due to alleged consumption of contaminated cough syrups.

A bench of Chief Justice BR Gavai and Justices Ujjal Bhuyan and K Vinod Chandran agreed to hear the public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Advocate Vishal Tiwari, and listed the matter for its urgent hearing on Friday, Oct 10, as per news agency PTI.

The PIL requested hat the first information reports (FIR) and the prove of the deaths of the children across Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan to be transferred to the CBI.

The petition sought a court-monitored probe in the cases and urged for constituting a National Judicial Commission or Expert Committee headed by a retired Supreme Court judge.

Deaths of children continue to rise

The death toll reached 22 in Madhya Pradesh on Oct 9 as two more children died due to alleged consumption of the toxic cough syrups.

The children reportedly died due to kidney failures which was caused by the consumption of Coldrif syrup, Chhindwara district’s Additional Collector Dhirendra Singh Netri said, as per PTI.

A few children are still undergoing treatment in Maharashtra’s Nagpur.

Rajasthan has reported three deaths as of Oct 9.

Coldrif manufacturer arrested

The Madhya Pradesh Special Investigation Team (SIT) officials arrested the Coldrif cough syrup manufacturer Sresan Pharma.

Owner Ranganathan Govindan was arrested from Chennai on Thursday, Oct 9, Sub-Divisional Officer of Police of Parasia region, Jitendra Singh Jaat told PTI.

The police also reportedly sealed the factory of the drug manufacturer.

Govindan will be produced before a court in Chennai requesting for his transit remand and will be brought to Parasia by Oct 10, Jaat said.

Maharashtra orders liquid oral formulations

Observing the rising number of cases and deaths due to the contaminated cough syrup, the Maharashtra Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) has ordered inspection of the liquid oral formulations in the state.

The FDA directed the officials to submit details of the manufacturers in the state and collect samples of such formulations from government and private hospitals along with the retailers and wholesalers, as per PTI.