A petition has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking a judicial inquiry into the recent child deaths allegedly linked to cough syrups in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. The plea calls for urgent reforms in drug regulation and a nationwide testing of syrups for toxins.

The cough syrup, Coldrif, has been linked to 16 children deaths in Madhya Pradesh's Chhindwara district and Rajasthan and has severely affected several others below the age of 12 since August. The cough syrup, manufactured by Tamil Nadu-based Sresan Pharmaceutical, has now been banned in several states.

The petition in the Supreme Court has sought a broader inquiry into the manufacture, regulation, testing and distribution of syrups found to contain toxic substances such as Diethylene Glycol (DEG) and Ethylene Glycol (EG).

Source: India Today