- By Soumyaroop Mukherjee
- Sat, 04 Oct 2025 04:45 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
The Rajasthan government has suspended its State Drug Controller, Rajaram Sharma, for allegedly influencing the process of determining the drug standards in medicines amid a probe into the deaths of children in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan after allegedly consuming a cough syrup named Cofdril.
According to a report by News18, Sharma allegedly attempted to change the official rules under Section 17(b) of the Drugs & Cosmetics Act, 1940, which classifies any medicine that does not match its declared composition as counterfeit. Sharma reportedly created a ‘new definition’ excluding medicines with ‘zero content’ from being classified as fake.
According to the original rule, any drug that did not match the declared composition or with no active ingredient is classified as fake. This rule was altered by Sharma, which in turn allegedly helped pharmaceutical companies like Kayson Pharma escape scrutiny.
As per the report, Sharma also pressured his subordinate, the Additional Drug Controller, to alter the official documents according to his definition. Sharma’s immediate suspension came after investigators found the internally altered note sheets and communications.
Meanwhile, the Rajasthan government has also halted the sale of medicines manufactured by the Jaipur-based Kaysons Pharma, which took undue advantage of the manipulations done by Sharma.
“The Medical and Health Department has stopped the supply of all 19 medicines manufactured by Kaysons Pharma until further orders,” said an official. Distributions of cough syrups with Dextromethorphan have also been suspended.
According to the managing director of Rajasthan Medical Services Corporation Ltd (RMSCL), Pukhraj Sen, over 10,000 samples of Kaysons Pharma drugs have been tested since 2012, of which 42 failed the quality standards.
Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma directed a detailed investigation into the entire matter along with appropriate actions. An expert committee has been formed by the government, which will investigate the actions of Sharma and the underlying loophole.
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Gayatri Rathore, Principal Secretary in the Medical and Health Department, said that the government of Rajasthan had issued an advisory against administering Dextromethorphan, found in cough syrups.
The officials also added that drugs with potential harm to children and pregnant women will now carry clear labels. The decision comes in the backdrop of reports of deaths of 11 children, 9 in Madhya Pradesh and 2 in Rajasthan, due to adulterated cough syrup.
(With inputs from the PTI)