Toxic Cough Syrup Tragedy Reaches Supreme Court; PIL Seeks CBI Probe

A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has reached the Supreme Court over children’s deaths caused by contaminated cough syrup nationwide.

Supreme Court advocate Vishal Tiwari filed the petition, demanding urgent action and accountability from the central, state, and drug regulatory authorities.

The PIL seeks a nationwide ban and immediate recall of the toxic cough syrup manufactured by Sresan Pharma Pvt Ltd. It alleges the Centre and CDSCO failed to issue timely recall notices despite evidence of children dying after consumption.

Although Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Maharashtra suspended the syrup, it was too late for many affected children and families.

In the past month alone, 11 children died in Chhindwara, Madhya Pradesh, and 3 in Rajasthan, tragically.

The PIL states these deaths are not accidental but result from institutional failure within India’s drug regulation and manufacturing system. It highlights poor monitoring, weak enforcement, a lack of transparency, and the absence of mandatory testing in current drug approval processes.

The petition demands mandatory DEG and EG testing for all syrups before sale to ensure consumer safety nationwide. It also calls for a CBI investigation into the deaths and prosecution of responsible manufacturers and negligent regulatory officials involved.

Further, it seeks compensation for the victims’ families who lost children due to the consumption of the toxic medication.

A Supreme Court-monitored expert committee should be formed to overhaul India’s drug safety framework and prevent further such tragedies.

Additionally, it proposes a national digital drug recall portal to alert the public quickly about banned, counterfeit, or toxic medicines sold illegally.

The PIL portrays this as a recurring, avoidable tragedy due to systemic lapses in pharmaceutical oversight, demanding immediate legal and regulatory reforms.

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