ED raids 7 Chennai sites linked to Coldrif maker
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday carried out extensive raids in Chennai and Kanchipuram in connection with the Coldrif cough syrup tragedy, which has claimed the lives of at least 22 children across India.
The searches were conducted under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) at the premises of Sreesan Pharma, the manufacturer of the toxic syrup, and at the residences of top officials of the Tamil Nadu Food and Drug Control Department.
According to ED officials, the raids targeted the residence of G Ranganathan, owner of Sreesan Pharma, located in Kodambakkam, as well as the company’s manufacturing unit and offices in Kanchipuram.
The agency also searched properties belonging to Director Deepa and Joint Director Karthikeyan of the Tamil Nadu Drug Control Department. Both officials have been suspended pending an internal enquiry for alleged negligence and possible corruption in granting manufacturing licenses to Sreesan Pharma.
ED sources confirmed that the agency is investigating whether there were financial transactions or illegal monetary dealings between the pharmaceutical company and the suspended officials. The probe also focuses on the failure of drug inspectors to carry out mandatory checks at Sreesan’s facilities over the last two years.
The Coldrif syrup, produced by Sreesan Pharma, which operates out of Sunguvarchatram, Tamil Nadu, was distributed across multiple states in India. The syrup was found to contain lethal levels of diethylene glycol, a toxic industrial solvent used in antifreeze. The contamination led to acute renal failure among children in Madhya Pradesh’s Chhindwara district, resulting in the deaths of 21 children, with one more fatality reported later.