Jabalpur (Madhya Pradesh): The accused in Madhya Pradesh’s Chhindwara poisonous cough syrup case, Dr. Praveen Soni, appeared before the Madhya Pradesh High Court on Friday for a hearing on his bail petition.
The doctor was in custody since his arrest on October 6, 2025, in Chhindwara. During his hearing, he argued that the deaths of children were due to the medicine company’s fault, not his own.
What are the allegations?
Investigations revealed that Dr. Soni allegedly prescribed the poisonous syrup to the children and received a 10% commission for every bottle, while his wife, Dr. Jyoti Soni, the proprietor of a nearby pharmacy, received a 27% commission on its sales.
Dr. Soni, who also ran a private clinic, where he prescribed the ‘Coldrif’ brand cough syrup to several children, who later developed severe complications, including kidney failure.
Next hearing on Jan 20
The High Court has scheduled the next hearing for January 20, 2026, during which the government and other interveners will present their arguments. Dr. Soni has been in Chhindwara jail since his arrest.
List of deceased children
The case involves the deaths of at least 24 children in Chhindwara after consuming the poisonous syrup.
Some of the victims include Mayank Suryavanshi (3.5 years), Divyanshu Yaduwanshi (6 years), Atiya Khan (7 years), Shivam Rathore (4 years), Divyanshu Uike (3 years), Vidhi Deharia, Satya Pawar (8 years), Adnan Khan (5 years), Usaid Khan (4 years), Rishika Pipre (5 years), and Sehrish Syed Ali (6 months).
Other children who lost their lives include Sandhya Bosam (1 year), Yogita Thakre (2 years), Dhani Deharia (1 year), Jayusha Yaduwanshi (2 years), Vedansh Pawar (2 years), Garvik Pawar (1 year), Hitansh Soni (5 years), Ambika Vishwakarma (3 years), Aradhya Yaduwanshi, Pranshu Lodhi, and Piyush.
All these deaths occurred within 45 days, disturbing the entire state.
