Tamil Nadu health minister confirmed the permanent revocation of Sresan Pharmaceuticals’ license, maker of Coldrif cough syrup, following the deaths of at least 21 children in Madhya Pradesh

NEW DELHI: The licence of Sresan Pharmaceuticals, maker of Coldrif cough syrup, is set to be permanently revoked, Tamil Nadu health minister Ma Subramaniam confirmed on Thursday. “The particular pharma company license will be permanently cancelled in a couple of days,” Subramaniam said. The licence is currently temporarily suspended as authorities carry out further inspections and investigations.Earlier in the day, the company’s owner, G Ranganathan, 75, was arrested at his Kodambakkam residence in Chennai by a team from Madhya Pradesh police, with local assistance.He is expected to be taken to Chhindwara district, where most of the deaths occurred, after securing transit remand. Ranganathan faces charges including culpable homicide not amounting to murder, drug adulteration, and violations of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act.A police team will also inspect the company’s manufacturing facility in Sunguvarchatram, Kancheepuram. Ranganathan, a pharmacy graduate from Madras Medical College, had built a long career in pharmaceuticals, starting with the popular nutritional syrup Pronit, before expanding into other liquid medicines. However, his 2,000 sq ft manufacturing unit along the Chennai-Bengaluru highway was found to have serious safety lapses and has now been sealed.