Bhopal, October 9 (Udaipur Kiran) — The death toll from the toxic cough syrup tragedy in Madhya Pradesh has risen to 22, after another child succumbed during treatment on Wednesday night. Three-year-old Mayank Suryawanshi from Pachdhar village in Chhindwara’s Umreth tehsil passed away at Nagpur Medical College, where he had been admitted since September 25. All victims were aged below eight years — 19 from Chhindwara, two from Betul, and one from Pandhurna.

Authorities have confirmed the arrest of Govindan Ranganathan, the director of Shrinson Pharma, the company that manufactured the Coldriff cough syrup linked to the fatalities. The arrest was made by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Madhya Pradesh government during a late-night raid in Chennai.

According to Chhindwara Superintendent of Police, the SIT also seized key documents, medicine samples, and production records from the company’s premises. Ranganathan was presented before a Chennai court on Thursday, and a transit remand will be sought to bring him to Chhindwara for further investigation.

The SIT had reached Tamil Nadu earlier this week to probe the manufacturing plant located in Kanchipuram, as well as the company’s registered office in Chennai. Officials reported that the company owner had absconded three days before the raid. Following his disappearance, DIG Rakesh Kumar Singh of Chhindwara Zone had announced a ₹20,000 cash reward for information leading to Ranganathan’s arrest.

Preliminary investigations suggest serious violations of quality standards during the production of the syrup. The Tamil Nadu Directorate of Drugs Control has since released a report stating that non-pharmaceutical-grade chemicals were used in its manufacture. The company allegedly procured 100 kilograms of toxic propylene glycol through two unrecorded cash and UPI transactions, without any purchase bills or official entries.

Health authorities have warned that Coldriff cough syrup is unsafe for use and have urged the public to stop using it immediately. Pharmacies selling the product are also under scrutiny as part of an expanded investigation into the distribution and sales network.

Officials indicated that more arrests are likely, as the probe continues into how the adulterated syrup reached the market and caused the deaths of multiple children.