Authorities in Gujarat are facing scrutiny after reports revealed that certain cough syrup batches linked to child deaths across India were manufactured in the state.
The controversy has resurfaced amid concerns over herbal syrups that had previously been used as alcohol substitutes among youth. While open sales of such syrups at paan stalls and salons were cracked down on, the trade is reportedly continuing underground.
Investigations by the Food and Drugs Department found that raw materials for the toxic cough syrups were supplied from companies in Ahmedabad and Surendranagar. A large-scale probe has been launched into 526 manufacturing units producing cough syrups or their ingredients.
Earlier, the herbal syrup scandal revealed that products sold as Ayurvedic medicines for stomach ailments could ferment naturally, producing 12–14% alcohol. These syrups were sold for around 150 per chilled bottle. Police investigations had traced illegal factories in Changodar and supply chains stretching from Punjab to Gujarat, leading to arrests including Ahmedabad distributor Chirag Thobani.
Despite these crackdowns, reports suggest that the underground sale of intoxicating syrups continues in major cities like Ahmedabad, Rajkot, Surat, Vadodara, Jamnagar, Junagadh, and Kutch.