Bhopal/Jabalpur, February 17 (IANS). The Madhya Pradesh High Court on Tuesday rejected the regular bail plea filed by accused pharmacist, pediatrician Praveen Soni, his wife Jyoti Soni and nephew in the toxic Coldriff cough syrup case.
According to the court order, the bench of Justice Pramod Kumar Aggarwal said that considering the seriousness and circumstances of the entire case, it is not a bailable case. It is alleged that the pharmacist distributed Coldrif syrup in place of Nextro-DS prescribed by the doctor. No bill of sale was maintained and the accused played a role in destroying evidence including 66 bottles.
The Court described the pharmacist as the technical custodian responsible for the safe dispensing of medicines, record keeping and safety of the public. At the same time, Praveen Soni allegedly gave Coldrif syrup to children without prescription, which is illegal and medically unacceptable. This improper replacement and violation of licensing rules combined to cause this tragedy.
The syrup produced by the factory was found to contain dangerous amounts of diethylene glycol, which caused acute kidney failure in children and the death of more than 26 children. The incident took place between August and October 2025 at Parasia Community Health Center in Chhindwara district. Madhya Pradesh government banned this syrup on 4 October 2025.
The prosecution said the pharmacist and other accused, including doctors, were allegedly receiving commission and profits. Bail was refused given the serious public health harm and deaths of more than 26 children. The accused are in custody since October 13, 2025.
The Court said that the primary evidence against the accused is strong and appears to establish the offense under Sections 105, 276 and 238(B) of the Indian Justice Code including Section 27(A) of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act.
The court clarified that this decision is only related to bail and it will not affect the main hearing of the case. The decision comes amid scrutiny of the 2025 cough syrup crisis, which has highlighted regulatory failures in drug manufacturing, distribution and prescribing nationally.
–IANS
AMT/DKP
