Dr Praveen Soni, who prescribed the syrup to kids in Madhya Pradesh, has been arrested on charges of negligence. However, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) defended Soni, arguing that systemic lapses by the pharmaceutical company and regulatory authorities also contributed to the tragedy.

The IMA has demanded strict action against those responsible for the deaths linked to contaminated cough syrup, compensation for affected families, and support for the doctor. It criticised the poor drug regulations and mishandling of the case.

Tests suggest the syrup contained toxic chemicals and was wrongly sold for children under four.

The Madhya Pradesh government has suspended two drug inspectors and a deputy director, and transferred the state drug controller.

The Union Health Ministry found one of ten syrup samples failed quality tests and has launched inspections in six states. Several states, including Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh, have banned Coldrif syrup and seized contaminated batches.

The Punjab and Himachal Pradesh governments have also banned the sale, distribution and use of Coldrif cough syrup.

Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh have started safety drives and surveys, while opposition parties have demanded accountability and a judicial probe into the regulatory lapses behind the tragedy.

A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been filed in the Supreme Court demanding a CBI probe and sweeping reforms in India’s drug safety framework following the incident.

(With inputs from PTI)