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    Cough syrup deaths: ED raids 5 sites in Chennai, targets Sresan owner, officials
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    The residences of G Ranganathan (right), owner of Sresan Pharmaceuticals, and K Karthikeyan, the suspended inspector were raided by the ED

    Cough syrup deaths: ED raids 5 sites in Chennai, targets Sresan owner, officials

    ED launched PMLA searches at five sites, including homes of pharmaceutical owner G Ranganathan, two suspended drug control officials in Coldrif cough syrup case

    Mahalingam Ponnusamy
    13 Oct 2025 9:43 AM IST  (Updated:2025-10-13 05:20:39)

    The Enforcement Directorate (ED) intensified its investigation into the tragic Coldrif cough syrup contamination case on Monday (October 13), conducting searches at five key locations across Chennai under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

    The raids, which began at dawn, targeted the residences of the arrested pharmaceutical owner and two suspended drug control officials, as well as two additional premises linked to Sresan Pharmaceuticals' operations, amid allegations of financial irregularities and regulatory lapses that enabled the deadly product to reach vulnerable children.

    ED teams, comprising over 20 officers, descended on the upscale Kodambakkam residence of 75-year-old G Ranganathan, owner of Sresan Pharmaceuticals, where they seized documents, laptops, and financial ledgers potentially revealing illicit profits from substandard drug sales.

    Simultaneous operations unfolded at the Thiruvanmiyur home of Deepa Joseph, the suspended director of drugs control for Tamil Nadu and a senior inspector in the Kancheepuram zone, and the nearby residence of fellow suspended inspector K Karthikeyan. Sources indicated that the focus here was on emails and inspection reports that might expose deliberate oversights in monitoring the company's manufacturing unit.

    After the five sites, searches were conducted at a Chennai-based warehouse used by Sresan for storage and distribution, and the office of a associated logistics firm suspected of handling contaminated batches.

    Multi-pronged action

    The multi-pronged action marks a significant escalation in the federal probe, building on Ranganathan's arrest on October 9 by a Madhya Pradesh Special Investigation Team (SIT) in connection with the deaths of at least 23 children from acute kidney failure after consuming the tainted syrup.
    Laboratory analysis by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) confirmed the presence of diethylene glycol (DEG), a toxic anti-freeze substitute, in the implicated batch SR-13, which was a reminder of past scandals like the 2022 Uzbekistan syrup crisis that killed dozens.
    Sresan Pharmaceuticals, a small-scale outfit in Sunguvarchatram near Sriperumbudur, had operated quietly until early October when Madhya Pradesh health officials reported a cluster of pediatric fatalities in rural districts like Parasia and Betul.

    The syrup, marketed as a safe remedy for coughs and fevers, was distributed nationwide but hit hardest in underserved areas where affordable generics are a staple.

    A joint inspection by Tamil Nadu authorities on October 2 uncovered over 350 violations of Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), including faulty quality testing equipment and improper storage, leading to the factory's immediate sealing.

    Dereliction of duty

    The suspensions of Joseph and Karthikeyan on October 9 stemmed from a damning internal audit revealing zero site visits to Sresan in the last two years, despite mandatory quarterly checks.
    Tamil Nadu health minister Ma Subramanian termed it a "grave dereliction", vowing criminal charges alongside the ED's money laundering inquiry. Ranganathan, during his court remand in Parasia, maintained the contamination was "unintentional", but investigators suspect cost-cutting measures inflated profits, with preliminary estimates pegging substandard sales at over ₹50 crore annually.
    This scandal has reignited national outrage over pharmaceutical regulation, with a 2024 CAG report highlighting Tamil Nadu's dismal 20 per cent sample testing rate.

    PIL dismissed

    The Supreme Court recently dismissed a PIL for a nation-wide CBI probe but urged the Centre to enforce stricter CDSCO guidelines. The World Health Organization echoed calls for urgent reforms, warning that India, supplier of 20 per cent of global generics, risks eroding trust if such "killer" products persist.
    As ED sleuths wrap up the day's operations, with no immediate arrests reported, grieving families in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan continue to demand justice.
    The raids underscore a harsh reality: in the race for cheap medicine, children's lives hang in the balance of unchecked greed and apathy. Further disclosures from the searches could unravel a deeper web of complicity when the ED files its next report.
    cough syrupEnforcement Directorate (ED)Chennaipharma firms
    Mahalingam Ponnusamy
    About the AuthorMahalingam Ponnusamy
    Mahalingam Ponnusamy is Editor - Special Projects with The Federal.
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