Coldrif Cough Syrup Deaths | Madhya Pradesh High Court Rejects Bail Of Accused Doctors & Pharmacists
The Madhya Pradesh High Court, on Tuesday (February 17), rejected bail applications of Dr Praveen Soni, along with the pharmacists, for their involvement in the prescription and sale of Coldrif cough syrup to children, resulting in the death of as many as 30 children.
The bench of Justice Pramod Kumar Agarwal observed that despite the applicant knowing that the syrup led to the death of 33 children in 1998 due to DEG-contamination, he continued to prescribe the syrup, leading to the death of 26 children.
The bench held
"that applicant is the Child Specialist Doctor and he, despite the conversation which took place between the present applicant and senior doctor Shri Praveen Khapekar wherein Dr. Praveen Khapekar informed him that in 1998 at Delhi, due to DEG-contaminated cough syrup, 33 children were died and maybe this time also, there is possibility of same reaction, even then the applicant continued to prescribe the cough syrup, due to which, more than 26 innocent children below the age of 4-5 years have been died and the alleged cough syrup caused harm to the public health in a large scale".
Per the prosecution, the doctor prescribed a cough syrup branded Coldrif to children aged between 2-5 years. The laboratory report showed that the Coldrif cough syrup, manufactured by Srisan Pharmaceuticals, contained the banned substance Diethylene Glycol.
It was claimed that Dr Soni, along with the others, was responsible for knowingly manufacturing such a dangerous adulterated medicine and thereafter administering the same to children.
Additional Advocate General appearing for the State argued that the fixed-dose combination cough syrup was prohibited for children below 4 years of age under the December 18, 2023, circular issued by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization.
Further, it was claimed that the doctor continued prescribing the syrup even after he was cautioned by another senior paediatrician in Nagpur about the possibility of DEG contamination, recalling the 1998 incident in Delhi.
The State also argued that Jyoti Soni, the wife of the doctor, sold the syrup from her medical store, which was adjacent to his clinic.
The bench noted that despite the doctor having a conversation over DEG contaminated syrup causing the death of 33 children in 1998 in Delhi, he continued prescribing the same syrup to children, leading to the death of 26 innocent children under the age of 5 years. The bench noted that the
The bench emphasized that the doctor even received a commission for prescribing the said syrup. The court also noted that the alleged cough syrup caused harm to public health on a large scale.
The bench also denied bail applications of the wholesale dealer- Rajesh Kumar Soni, owner of medical shops- Jyoti Soni and Anil Kumar Mishra, and the registered pharmacists working therein- Sourabh Kumar Jain and Ashok Kumar Mishra.
Thus, the bench dismissed the bail application of the doctor.
Earlier, the High Court in November 2025 dismissed the appeal filed by a distributor of Coldrif cough syrup, challenging the sealing of his shop along with the cancellation of his drug license, observing the subject case to be 'the most shocking case in medical history'.
Further, the Chhindwara Court, in October 2025, dismissed the bail application of a doctor, Praveen Soni.
Case Title: Praveen Soni v State of Madhya Pradesh and connected matters