Madhya Pradesh | A five-month-old girl from Chhindwara district in Madhya Pradesh has reportedly died after taking an Ayurvedic cough syrup and a medicinal powder. According to local authorities, the child, identified as Ruhi Minote, had been suffering from a cold and cough. Her family bought the products from Kuratha Medical Shop four days before her death, prompting officials to seal the store for investigation.
Investigation Underway
Chaurai Sub-Divisional Magistrate Prabhat Mishra confirmed that a case of unnatural death has been filed. Samples of both the syrup and the powder have been sent for laboratory testing, while the child’s viscera has been forwarded to the forensic science laboratory in Jabalpur. Authorities are awaiting the post-mortem report to determine the exact cause of death.
Link to Previous Cough Syrup Deaths
This incident occurred just two weeks after the last reported fatality associated with the consumption of the cough syrup brand Coldrif. Earlier this year, 24 children—21 from Chhindwara, two from Betul, and one from Pandhurna—died of renal failure linked to the same brand. Tests revealed that Coldrif contained 48.6 percent diethylene glycol, a toxic chemical known to cause severe kidney damage.
Arrests Made in the Case
Following the investigation into the Coldrif deaths, authorities arrested Ranganathan Govindan, owner of Tamil Nadu-based Sresen Pharma, which produced the syrup. Dr. Praveen Soni, a government pediatrician from Parasia in Chhindwara, who allegedly prescribed the medicine, was also arrested earlier in October and remains in judicial custody.
Ongoing Health Concerns
The recent death raises new concerns about the safety of both allopathic and Ayurvedic formulations being sold in local markets. Officials have intensified efforts to test medicinal products and ensure stricter quality control to prevent further tragedies.
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