Trio of Sresan Pharma Executives Nabbed in Probe Over Deadly Cough Syrup Outbreak

BHOPAL: Authorities investigating the devastating outbreak linked to a contaminated cough syrup, which resulted in the deaths of 23 children across Madhya Pradesh, have taken three additional individuals into custody, including a key executive from the Tamil Nadu pharmaceutical firm responsible for producing the lethal product.

The arrests, carried out on Tuesday, spotlight K Maheshweri, who served as both production manager and quality control supervisor at Sresan Pharmaceuticals. Detained in Kancheepuram, she is currently en route to Chhindwara for intensive questioning, according to law enforcement sources.

Joining her in custody are Saurabh Jain, a wholesale distributor of medications, and Rajesh Soni, a licensed pharmacist, both apprehended in Chhindwara. The duo faces charges for attempting to hide stockpiles of the tainted Coldrif syrup, a discovery prompted by an alert from the district’s drug inspector.

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) has intensified its examination of the entire distribution network, spanning from initial production to final retail outlets, in an effort to unravel the pathway that allowed the syrup—adulterated with diethylene glycol, a hazardous industrial chemical—to infiltrate the market and trigger widespread poisoning.

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Maheshweri’s apprehension stems from mounting proof of her involvement in approving the defective batch, as she managed the development and quality assurance processes for liquid oral formulations at the company’s facility. “An arrest warrant for her was already in place,” confirmed Pramod Verma, Inspector General of the Chhindwara range.

Further scrutiny has exposed significant lapses at Sresan’s manufacturing site, described by one SIT member as operating in substandard, confined quarters reliant on rudimentary manual procedures with minimal regulatory supervision. “It resembled a basic bottling operation rather than a compliant pharmaceutical production unit,” the official noted.

This latest development underscores the ongoing push for accountability in the supply chain, as investigators continue to dissect the operational failures that turned a common remedy into a fatal threat for vulnerable young patients.