ED raids Coldrif manufacturer, TNFDA officials
Chennai (PTI): The ED on Monday raided premises linked to Sresan Pharmaceuticals, the manufacturer of Coldrif cough syrup that allegedly caused deaths of children in Madhya Pradesh, and top officials of the Tamil Nadu FDA as part of a money laundering investigation, official sources said.
At least seven premises in Chennai are being covered by the Enforcement Directorate under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), they said.
The action came after the federal probe agency registered a criminal case under the anti-money laundering law, taking cognisance of police complaints filed against Sresan Pharmaceuticals in Madhya Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.
At least 22 children, mostly under the age of five, have died after being administered Coldrif in Madhya Pradesh.
Licensed in 2011 by the Tamil Nadu Food and Drug Administration (TNFDA), the Kanchipuram-based Sresan Pharmaceuticals continued operations unchecked for over a decade despite its dismal infrastructure and multiple violations of national drug safety rules, the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) has said.
The cough syrup was found to be "dangerously" adulterated with diethylene glycol (DEG), a highly poisonous substance.
The owner of Sresan Pharmaceuticals, G Ranganathan, was arrested by Madhya Pradesh Police on October 9.
Following the children's deaths, the Madhya Pradesh government suspended two drug inspectors and a deputy director of the FDA.
It also transferred the state's drug controller and ordered an investigation into the deaths, while police arrested a doctor from Chhindwara district on charges of negligence.
The Tamil Nadu government has also suspended two senior state drug inspectors and ordered the closure of Sresan Pharmaceuticals.
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Will continue to keep tab on development work in Bihar: Nitish to JD(U) MLAs
Patna (PTI): JD(U) president Nitish Kumar on Monday told party legislators that he will continue to keep a tab on the development work in Bihar despite having given up the chief minister's post a week ago.
Kumar addressed a meeting of the legislative party at 1, Anney Marg, which is the official residence of the chief minister and which the JD(U) supremo, now a Rajya Sabha MP, had occupied for nearly two decades.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, JD(U) MLC and spokesperson Neeraj Kumar said, "Our party leader has said that except for sessions of Parliament, which would require his presence in Delhi, he will spend his maximum time in Bihar."
"Nitish Kumar told us that he will ensure that the good work done while he was in power continues under the new government, in which the JD(U) is an important partner. To keep a tab, he will tour the state in due course," Neeraj Kumar said.
The JD(U) spokesperson was asked about speculations that the meeting had been convened to decide on the role to be assigned to Nishant, the party supremo's son, who joined the JD(U) last month, but has declined to accept a ministerial berth in the Samrat Choudhary government.
"There is no confusion about the role of Nishant, who has been accepted by the party as the leader of the future. In any case, there was no discussion on him today," Neeraj Kumar said.
Nitish Kumar has been authorised by the legislators to decide on choosing the legislative party leader, he added.
Among those present at the meeting were Union minister and former JD(U) national president Rajiv Ranjan Singh 'Lalan' and Deputy Chief Ministers Vijay Kumar Chaudhary and Bijendra Prasad Yadav.
Interestingly, don turned politician Anant Kumar Singh, who represents Mokama assembly seat, claimed after the meeting that MLAs were asked by the supreme leader to try and win "200 seats in the next elections".
"Nitish Kumar ji told us that he will now be more easily available for party workers and general public. He also said that he will extensively tour the state and asked us to work hard so that the party wins 200 seats in the next elections", said Singh, who is often in news for putting his foot in the mouth.
The Bihar assembly is 243-strong and the JD(U)'s current tally is 85, four less than ally BJP, which is the single largest party.
The JD(U)'s best-ever performance was in 2010, when it had contested 142 seats and won 115 of these. It was also the highest tally for any single party since Bihar's truncation in 2000, until when Jharkhand was part of the state and assembly had 324 seats.
