Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh) [India], October 9 (ANI): Madhya Pradesh Police on Wednesday announced a reward of Rs 20,000 for information leading to the owner of Srisan Pharmaceuticals, Tamil Nadu, the manufacturer of Coldrif Syrup linked to the deaths of 20 children in the state, Chhindwara Superintendent of Police (SP) Ajay Pandey said.

The state police had travelled to Tamil Nadu to arrest the company owner but were unable to locate him, prompting the announcement of the reward, he added.

Meanwhile, the bail application of Dr Praveen Soni was rejected by the Chhindwara sessions Court on Wednesday, officials said. Dr Soni, a government paediatrician at Civil Hospital, Parasia in Chhindwara, was recently suspended and later faced legal action, resulting in being sent to 14-day judicial custody on Monday.

The Chhindwara Chemist Association has also announced an indefinite strike from midnight in protest against the action taken on Wednesday against several medical stores in the district.

Santosh Chore, President of the Chemist Association, expressed strong disagreement with the administration's decision to seal chemist shops, saying that responsibility should instead be fixed on the medicine manufacturers and the laboratories that approved the drugs.

'We are going on strike starting midnight in protest after five chemist shops, which have been sealed and served a showcause notice. We are not objecting to the investigation, and samples should be collected. However, we do not agree with the sealing of chemist shops. Action should be taken against the medicine producers and labs that pass them,' Chore told ANI.

He also demanded the release of five chemist shop owners and a revision of the investigation procedures. 'Today samples are being taken from our shops, we are not able to do our business and nor we are able to clean our shops for Diwali, our chemist shops are living under fear. We want the authorities to release five chemist owners and demand a change in investigation standards,' Chore said.

Meanwhile, Madhya Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister and Health Minister Rajendra Shukla said on Wednesday that 20 children had died so far in the state due to the consumption of Coldrif cough syrup, while five others were undergoing treatment. Of the 20 deaths, 17 were reported from Chhindwara district, two from Betul district, and one from Pandhurna.

'Twenty children have lost their lives in the unfortunate incident from Chhindwara, Betul and Pandhurna districts. The state government is quite strict. The police teams from Chhindwara have reached Chennai and Kanchipuram to arrest the owner of Coldrif manufacturing company, and strict action is being taken into the matter,' Shukla told reporters.

He added that all possible efforts were being made to save the children under treatment.

'I met five children who are undergoing treatment in Nagpur, two at Government Medical college, two at AIIMS and one in a private hospital and their families. The management and doctors are making all efforts to save the lives of children undergoing treatment,' Shukla added.

Earlier on Tuesday, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav announced that the state government would bear the entire cost of treatment for children being treated in Nagpur for kidney infections caused by the cough syrup. A joint team of executive magistrates and doctors has also been deployed in Nagpur for continuous health monitoring.

'Chief Minister Mohan Yadav has directed that the state government would bear the entire cost of treatment for nine children suffering from kidney infections caused by cough syrup, who are being treated in various hospitals in Nagpur. A joint team of executive magistrates and doctors has been deployed in Nagpur to ensure proper medical arrangements and continuous monitoring of the affected children,' the Chief Minister's Office said in a post on X. (ANI)