MP High Court denies bail to doctor accused of prescribing Coldrif cough syrup despite warning

The Madhya Pradesh High Court recently denied bail to Dr. Pravin Soni arrested last year for prescribing Coldrif cough syrup that led to the death of several children in Chhindwara district [Dr Praveen Soni v. The State of Madhya Pradesh]

In an order passed on Tuesday, Justice Pramod Kumar Agrawal took note of a statement that a senior doctor from Nagpur had warned Dr. Soni about similar deaths that had taken place in 1998 due to an adulterated cough syrup.

Despite the same, Dr. Soni kept prescribing the cough syrup which led to the loss of 26 lives, the Court said.

"Despite the conversation which took place between the present applicant and senior doctor Shri Praveen Khapekar wherein Dr. Praveen Khapekar informed him that in 1998 at Delhi, due to DEG-contaminated cough syrup, 33 children were died and maybe this time also, there is possibility of same reaction, even then the applicant continued to prescribe the cough syrup, due to which, more than 26 innocent children below the age of 4-5 years have died," the Court said.

It added that the cough syrup caused harm to the public health and that Soni had received commission for prescribing it.

"Present applicant has prescribed the fixed dose compound to the children which was banned by the circular issued by the Government on 18.12.2023; the senior doctor Dr. Praveen Khapekar had informed and cautioned the applicant about the incident of 1998, wherein, due to DEG-contaminated cough syrup, 33 children were died and maybe this time also, there is possibility of same reaction, even then the applicant continued to prescribe the alleged cough syrup, hence, this is not a fit case to grant bail to the applicant," the Bench further said.

At least 26 children died after allegedly consuming the cough syrup in Madhya Pradesh, according to media reports.

The deaths sparked outrage across India with many States banning Coldrif after it was reportedly found to be contaminated with high levels of toxic Diethylene Glycol. However, Indian Medical Association (IMA) condemned Dr. Soni’s arrest, stating that the culpability for introducing an adulterated drug into the market rests squarely with the manufacturer and the enforcement agencies. Following the deaths, World Health Organization (WHO) also voiced "deep concern" over gaps in India's drug safety regulations, the BBC reported.

A trial court on October 8, 2025 had declined bail to Dr. Soni, noting that he had prescribed the medicine to children below the age of four years in violation of the guidelines issued by Directorate General of Health Sciences. The Court had also said that the probe into the deaths is still incomplete and the allegations against the accused are of serious nature.

In High Court, he argued that he has been falsely implicated in the case.

"He is neither the manufacturer of the medicine namely "Coldriff Syrup" nor the Director nor having any role in manufacturing the alleged cough syrup," his counsel said.

However, the State argued that he was aware that the children were developing acute Kidney injury after consumption of Coldriff Syrup.

It also submitted a 2-year-old child, suffering from fever, cold, cough and sneezing, had been prescribed the cough syrup by Dr. Soni but when his condition did not improve, the child was taken to Nagpur where senior doctor Praveen Khapekar, who runs Astha Children Hospital at Nagpur since 22 years, was consulted.

Dr Khapekar is said to have revealed that Dr Soni is his friend and then called to warn him about the cough syrup.

"Dr. Praveen Khapekar called Dr. Praveen Soni and talked to him in front of the parents of that child in the night of 11.09.2025, and told him that the child (patient) is suffering from severe disease. He also told Dr. Praveen Soni that in 1998 at Delhi, due to DEG-contaminated cough syrup, 33 children were died and maybe this time also, there is possibility of same reaction," the State counsel said.

Considering the same, the Court denied bail to Dr Soni. Meanwhile, the Court also denied bail to five other accused in the case, including Dr Soni's wife Jyoti Soni. She was the proprietor of M/s Apna Medical Store from where the cough syrup was sold.

The Supreme Court had on October 10, 2025, declined to entertain a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking an independent, court-monitored probe into the deaths linked to the contaminated cough syrup.

Senior Advocate Shashank Shekhar with Advocate Bhoopesh Tiwari represented the accused.

Additional Advocate General Harpreet Singh Ruprah with Government Advocate CM Tiwari and State Advocate Aakash Malpani represented the State.

Adocates KK Pandey and Aditya Parashar represented the objector.

[Read Order]