The Madhya Pradesh High Court on Tuesday granted conditional bail to two medical representatives arrested in connection with the contaminated cough syrup poisonings that claimed the lives of more than 20 children in Chhindwara last year.
Justice Ajay Kumar Nirankari, presiding over a single-judge bench, allowed the bail applications of Satish Verma and Shailesh Singh Pandya. Both men had been held in judicial custody since late 2025 following an investigation into the distribution of a lethal batch of medicine.
Defense Highlights Limited Role And Lengthy Custody
Representing the two medical representatives, advocate Sankalp Kochhar argued that his clients had no involvement in the manufacturing process of the adulterated medicine. According to the defense petition, Verma and Pandya acted strictly as medical representatives whose duties were limited to placing supply orders with the manufacturing firm. The petition stated they had no knowledge of any defects or chemical contamination in the syrup, nor did they play any role in its storage, distribution, or eventual destruction.
Kochhar also pointed out that the police have already completed their investigation and submitted all relevant documentation to the court. With Verma in custody since October 2025 and Pandya since November 2025, the defense argued that the two should be released as the trial is expected to take a considerable amount of time to conclude.
Prosecution Opposes Release Citing Supply Chain Role
The state government strongly opposed the bail applications, presenting evidence that the two men were key figures in establishing a local distribution network. The prosecution asserted that Verma and Pandya served as the primary link between the pharmaceutical company and the main accused, Dr. Praveen Soni, a government physician.
According to state investigators, the petitioners were actively involved in promoting the toxic medication, managing its supply chain, and building a network of local doctors to write prescriptions for the syrup.
Contaminated Medicine Linked To Kidneys Failures
The criminal case stems from October 2025, when dozens of children in Chhindwara district fell severely ill with fever, vomiting, and an inability to urinate after consuming a cough syrup sold under the brand name Coldrif. Subsequent medical examinations revealed that the product was contaminated with diethylene glycol, a toxic compound known to cause acute kidney failure.
A chemical analysis conducted by the government Drug Testing Laboratory in Chennai later confirmed the contamination. The Tamil Nadu Directorate of Drug Control officially declared the tested samples as “Not of Standard Quality.”
Alongside the two medical representatives, police previously arrested the owner of the pharmaceutical manufacturing company and Dr. Soni, who allegedly recommended the lethal syrup to patients.
