A district court in Madhya Pradesh has denied bail to paediatrician Dr Praveen Soni, who has been arrested in connection with the Coldrif cough syrup deaths case, after police told the court that he admitted to receiving a 10% commission from the pharmaceutical company for prescribing the medicine.
According to the police, Dr Soni and several other doctors continued prescribing the syrup even after noticing that children who had consumed it were suffering from severe urine retention and kidney-related complications. Investigators told the court that this continued despite mounting evidence of adverse effects among young patients.
During interrogation, police said, the doctor confessed to taking a 10% cut from the company for promoting the drug. The court was informed that at least seven children have died after being prescribed Coldrif, while six others are undergoing treatment for kidney failure at a Nagpur hospital.
The investigation revealed that Dr Soni had prescribed the medicine to several children below the age of five between 24 August and 4 October, despite knowing that it was not recommended for such young patients.
Police records show that the first child death was reported on 29 August, when a four-year-old died after being given Coldrif for a cough. Another child, a three-year-old girl, died on 5 September with similar symptoms, her urine had stopped, and she developed acute kidney failure.
The court, in its order dated 8 October, referred to the Union Health Ministry’s 2023 guidelines, which had clearly warned that Fixed Dose Combination (FDC) medicines like Coldrif must not be prescribed to children below four years.
Despite these directions, the court observed, Dr Soni continued prescribing the syrup to children, terming the allegations against him as serious and deeply concerning. The judge held that there was prima facie evidence of negligence and ethical violations.
Dr Soni’s counsel argued that Coldrif had been used for over 15 years to treat cough and cold symptoms, and that the doctor could not be held responsible for the formulation or quality of the drug. The defence also contended that Soni prescribed the syrup in good faith, unaware that it contained toxic substances.
However, the court rejected the bail plea, observing that the gravity of the charges and the number of child fatalities demanded continued custody for investigation.
The police registered an FIR on 4 October after laboratory tests confirmed the presence of ethylene glycol, a toxic chemical, in samples of the Coldrif syrup. Investigators said the substance was likely responsible for the kidney failure cases and deaths.
The police are now expanding their probe to track the supply chain, company officials, and the doctors allegedly involved in promoting the drug for financial incentives.
The Madhya Pradesh government has already banned the sale and use of Coldrif across the state as part of a wider crackdown on unregulated paediatric medicines.
Source: India Today