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Over 8,500 government doctors in Madhya Pradesh have launched protests against the arrest of Dr. Praveen Soni, a paediatrician linked to the recent deaths of children allegedly caused by a toxic cough syrup. The doctors wore black ribbons in solidarity, calling the arrest unjust and demanding his immediate release.

The protests were organised by several medical associations across the state, who argued that Dr. Soni was being made a scapegoat for a larger failure in the drug supply system. They said that the syrup, Coldrif, was a licensed product available in the market, and the real accountability lies with the manufacturer and drug regulators.

The Indian Academy of Paediatrics (IAP) also voiced support for Dr. Soni, warning that arresting doctors for prescribing approved medicines would create fear among the medical community. They urged the government to withdraw the case and ensure that such actions do not discourage doctors from performing their duties.

An investigation had earlier found that Coldrif contained 48.6% diethylene glycol, a toxic chemical. The Madhya Pradesh government has since banned the syrup and arrested the owner of the manufacturing company, Sresan Pharma. Despite this, the medical fraternity maintains that Dr. Soni’s arrest violates Supreme Court guidelines that require a proper medical inquiry before criminal proceedings in negligence cases.

The doctors plan to continue their peaceful protest until the charges are dropped and have appealed to the government to focus on strengthening drug quality control instead of punishing medical professionals.