Wife Of Accused Doctor Arrested In MP Cough Syrup Case That Killed 24 Children

Last Updated:November 04, 2025, 14:48 IST

As many as 24 children in Madhya Pradesh, mostly under the age of five, died after consuming Coldrif syrup.

Several children died in Madhya Pradesh. (Photo: X/PTI)

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the cough syrup tragedy that claimed the lives of 24 children in Madhya Pradesh has arrested the wife of accused doctor Praveen Soni, officials said on Tuesday.

Dr Soni, based in Chhindwara, was arrested last month for allegedly prescribing the contaminated cough syrup ‘Coldrif’ to several ailing children who later died from kidney failure. His wife, Jyoti Soni, was arrested from her residence in Parasia town of Chhindwara district on Monday night, according to SIT in-charge and Sub-Divisional Officer of Police Jitendra Jaat.

Jyoti Soni, also named as an accused in the case, is the proprietor of a medical shop from where the tainted cough syrup was sold to several victims, officials said. So far, seven people have been arrested in connection with the case.

Following the child deaths, the Tamil Nadu government cancelled the licence of the cough syrup’s manufacturer, Sresan Pharma. Those arrested include Sresan Pharma owner G. Ranganathan, medical representative Satish Verma, chemist K. Maheshwari, wholesaler Rajesh Soni, and pharmacist Sourabh Jain.

As many as 24 children in Madhya Pradesh, mostly under the age of five, died after consuming Coldrif syrup. At least three more deaths were reported in neighbouring Rajasthan.

The tragedy also prompted the World Health Organisation (WHO) to issue an alert against three “substandard" cough syrups produced in India—Coldrif, Respifresh TR, and ReLife. Tests conducted by Tamil Nadu’s drug control department on October 2 found that Coldrif samples were “not of standard quality." A subsequent test in Madhya Pradesh revealed 48.6 per cent diethylene glycol—a toxic industrial chemical—in the syrup, far above the permissible impurity limit of 0.1 per cent.

In response, multiple states, including Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Kerala, Karnataka, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Delhi, and Puducherry, banned the sale of Coldrif.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav said those responsible “will not be spared." The state government has suspended the drug controller and assistant drug controller for negligence in testing and formed the SIT to oversee the investigation. Meanwhile, the Tamil Nadu government sealed Sresan Pharma’s manufacturing unit after the deaths came to light.

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News india Wife Of Accused Doctor Arrested In MP Cough Syrup Case That Killed 24 Children

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