Another child dies from toxic cough syrup:Death toll in Madhya Pradesh rises to 17; SIT takes charge to investigate incident thoroughly

The death toll in the contaminated cough syrup case rose to 17 in Madhya Pradesh ​​​​​​as a young child lost her life after consuming toxic ColdRif cough syrup. A 1.5-year-old Dhani Deharia, daughter of Naveen Deharia from Chhindwara, passed away while undergoing treatment at a hospital in Nagpur, Maharashtra on Monday night. Her condition had worsened rapidly due to complete kidney failure. Prior to being shifted to Nagpur, Dhani was treated in Parasia, Chhindwara, by Dr. Praveen Soni, who is now under investigation for his role in the case. The syrup administered to Dhani, ColdRif, is under scrutiny in the ongoing investigation. With this latest death, the total number of child fatalities in Chhindwara district has risen to 15, while the statewide death toll from contaminated syrup has reached 17. Dhani was admitted to Nagpur Medical College Hospital on September 26, after her condition worsened due to suspected toxicity. Government action: Key officials suspended In response to the incident, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav removed Drug Controller Dinesh Maurya from his post. He also ordered the suspension of three officers: Additionally, Dinesh Srivastava, Director of Public Health Family Welfare, has been given the additional charge of Food and Drug Controller. The government also formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the matter thoroughly. Chief Minister Yadav personally visited Parasia in Chhindwara to meet affected families and assess the situation on the ground. Chemical toxicity confirmed as cause of death During a National Health Mission (NHM) meeting in Bhopal, Chief Secretary Sandeep Yadav confirmed that investigations indicated chemical toxicity as the cause of deaths. Renal biopsy reports of the deceased children revealed Acute Tubular Necrosis, which is consistent with poisoning from harmful substances. The NHM meeting decided that doctors must exercise extreme caution when prescribing syrups for children. Authorities also emphasized strict monitoring of pharmacies selling medications without a registered pharmacist. Deputy Chief Minister Rajendra Shukla said the deaths of innocent children were heart-wrenching and assured that those responsible will face strict action. He added that both central and state regulations regarding drug safety will now be enforced rigorously to prevent such tragedies in the future. In Indore, Collector Shivam Verma instructed that FIRs should be filed against doctors prescribing prohibited drugs or syrups, ensuring legal accountability. Medical store license revoked Following the deaths, the health department revoked the license of Messers Apna Medical Stores in Parasia under Rule 66(1) of the Drugs Cosmetics Act, 1945. An inspection on October 3, 2025, found multiple serious violations: The licensee, Jyoti Soni, had been issued a notice to explain these irregularities but failed to respond. The store was ordered to halt all sales immediately, pending further investigation. Doctor arrested, FIR against pharmaceutical company Earlier, authorities had filed an FIR against Dr. Praveen Soni and Shresan Pharmaceutical Company in connection with the deaths of 14 children in Parasia. Dr. Soni was arrested under provisions carrying 10 years to life imprisonment for culpable homicide or criminal negligence. Laboratory tests revealed that the toxic ColdRif syrup contained 46.2% diethylene glycol (DEG), the chemical responsible for kidney failure and deaths among children. Following these findings, Chief Minister Yadav ordered the suspension of Dr. Soni. Possible cases in Betul District Authorities have also expressed concern over two child deaths in Betul, suspected to be caused by ColdRif syrup. Relatives confirmed that the children were treated by Dr. Soni, and their condition worsened afterward. One of the children was shifted to Nagpur and then Bhopal, but despite treatment, could not be saved. Police are actively investigating these cases to determine the link to the toxic syrup. Strict measures to prevent future tragedies In addition to arrests and suspensions, the government has implemented several measures to prevent further child fatalities: The government has emphasized swift, decisive action to hold those responsible accountable and prevent such preventable tragedies in the future. ​