Uzbekistan: Indian man gets 20-year jail over cough syrup deaths

An Indian man has been sentenced to 20 years in jail by a court in Uzbekistan in connection with the deaths of as many as 68 children who allegedly consumed contaminated cough syrup produced by an Uttar Pradesh-based pharmaceutical company.

The Uzbekistan court jailed as many as 23 people, including the Indian national, for a period ranging from two to 20 years.

Singh Raghvendra Pratar, an executive director at Quramax Medical, a firm distributing medicines manufactured by India's Marion Biotech in Uzbekistan, received the longest prison sentence, lasting for a period of 20 years.

The defendants were found guilty of tax evasion, sale of substandard or counterfeit medicines, abuse of office, negligence, forgery, and bribery, the Reuters report stated.

Furthermore, the court also said that compensation amounting to 80,000 US dollars (1 billion Uzbek sums) should be paid to each of the families of 68 children who died from consumption of the contaminated syrup.

Additionally, four other children who suffered disabilities will also receive the designated compensation. The compensation will be collected from seven of the convicts, the court said in its order.

A total of 86 children suffered poisoning after consuming the cold syrup, 68 of whom died.

The cough syrup Dok-1, manufactured by Marion Biotech, was associated with the death of 68 children in Uzbekistan in December 2022. The incident forced central and state drug authorities in India to launch a probe into the matter.

Subsequently, the manufacturing licence of the Noida-based firm was cancelled by the Uttar Pradesh authorities in March 2023.

Additionally, three employees of Marion Biotech were also arrested by UP Police and a lookout notice was issued for two of its directors. 

The sentencing of the Indian national in Uzbekistan over the deaths of 68 children linked to consumption of contaminated cough syrup manufactured by a Noida-based firm, came after 7-month-long court proceedings.