Cough syrup row: Plant sealed, MP SIT visits pharma unit, office
Chennai/Kancheepuram (PTI): A pharma unit producing a now banned cough syrup allegedly linked to the death of children in Madhya Pradesh is in the dock with the plant being sealed by the Tamil Nadu government and a police team from MP visiting the facility as part of its probe into the fatalities.
After issuing a second show cause notice, the Tamil Nadu government on Wednesday warned of initiating criminal action against the Chennai-based firm. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Madhya Pradesh Police visited the company's registered office here as well as its manufacturing unit in Kancheepuram as part of its probe into the deaths of children.
On October 7, Madhya Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Rajendra Shukla had said that a total of 20 children from the state have died so far while undergoing treatment for kidney failure after consuming a contaminated cough syrup. The city-based company is accused of making the drug.
"Yes. The factory has been sealed on Tuesday evening," a government official told PTI on Wednesday.
The Tamil Nadu Food Safety and Drug Administration department on October 4 declared that the samples of cough syrups collected from the manufacturing facility to be "adulterated" and an official had told PTI that the company has been instructed to "halt production" immediately.
The Tamil Nadu government has banned the sales of cough syrup 'Coldrif' with effect from October 1 and ordered removal of stocks of the medicine from the market. States including Kerala and Madhya Pradesh have also banned it.
Meanwhile, the seven member SIT led by an Assistant Commissioner of Police from Madhya Pradesh formed to look into the deaths of children from allegedly consuming the cough syrup conducted probe.
The SIT later visited the company's registered address in the city and collected relevant details as part of the inspection, they said.
"We arrived here last night. We are conducting the probe. He (owner of the drug company) had left the premises three days ago. We are collecting details based on the CCTV footage (available at the registered office)," an official part of the SIT told PTI.
The team is being assisted by the Tamil Nadu police locally.
On October 5, the Madhya Pradesh police formed the SIT to probe the death of the children in Chhindwara district due to suspected renal failure, linked to the consumption of the 'toxic' cough syrup.
The Chennai-based pharmaceutical company has been supplying the cough syrup 'Coldrif' to Puducherry, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, besides some other states.
The Tamil Nadu government said it will take criminal action against the drug manufacturer.
The government has issued its second notice against the drug manufacturer for the alleged presence of diethylene glycol in the cough syrup Coldrif, asking why criminal action should not be taken, state health and family welfare minister Ma Subramanian informed.
The company has been making the cough syrup which contained 48.6 per cent of the 'poisonous substance' as per the findings of the State Drug Control department, he added.
"On October 3, the samples collected by the drug controller declared the syrups to be adulterated. We have issued stop production order to the company. We have also asked the company why it should not be shut and asked for an explanation," he said.
Maintaining that the government is expecting a response from the company for the notice it has sent, Subramanian said, "Whatever be their explanation, we will take action as per the law. The government is taking all measures to ensure the closure of the firm."
Subramanian said, on October 7, through Drug Inspector another show cause notice was issued against the company asking why criminal action should not be taken.
"We will take criminal action against them," he told reporters in Tirunelveli.
The company has been manufacturing the syrup for the last 14 years since obtaining license at its facility in Sunguvarchatram in neighbouring Kancheepuram district.
It has been supplying the medicines to various States, Subramanian said, adding, the government issued an advisory to Puducherry and Odisha that the cough syrup Coldrif should not be sold in the market.
The pharmaceutical company that manufactures the syrup has not responded to the matter so far.
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Cheating made bigger than it actually is: Gukesh
Prague (PTI): World Champion D Gukesh has categorically stated that the problems around cheating in chess are made to be bigger than its existence.
Speaking during a press conference for the Prague International festival, Gukesh said he did not support Vladimir Kramnik, a former world champion who has been infamously levelling charges against quite a few chess players suspecting cheating during online games.
“Obviously, I’m against any kind of unfair or unethical play," “It’s a kind of problem that we have been seeing lately," Gukesh said.
The whole world had stood out for Grandmaster Daniel Naroditsky of America who died at a young age of just 29 years. Naroditsky was a famous content creator in chess who appeared to be very emotional in his last stream just days before his untimely death.
Gukesh is not the only one to join the bandwagon as earlier World number one Magnus Carlsen, FIDE president Arkady Dvorkovich and Indian stars Arjun Erigaisi and Nihal Sarin had also criticised Kramnik as his allegations could not be substantiated with any definite proof.
Speaking about the forthcoming Candidates tournament, Gukesh said he did not believe in favourites and that he would love to play fellow city-mate R Praggnanandhaa.
Meanwhile in the first round of the super tournament, Gukesh will face Hans Moke Niemann of United States, another player who has fought his way to top level chess. Niemann is a dangerous customer and Gukesh likes to go for complex play which insures a fighting beginning for the World Champion.
The other Indian in the fray, Aravindh Chithambaram will take on Nodirbek Abdusattorov of Uzbekistan, a recent winner of the Tata Steel Masters.
