ED freezes 40 accounts, unearths liquor bottles during raids against HP asst drug controller

New Delhi: About 40 bank and fixed-deposit accounts were frozen, two SUVs seized and five dozen "unaccounted" liquor bottles found following raids against a Himachal Pradesh-based assistant drug controller being probed on charges of "extortion" and "bribery", the ED said on Thursday.

The raids against Nishant Sareen, currently posted as the assistant drug controller (ADC) in Dharamshala, his father-in-law Ramesh Kumar Gupta and an alleged associate, Komal Khanna, were launched by the federal probe agency on June 22 and seven residential, commercial and government premises located in the state, Haryana and Punjab were covered.

The money-laundering case filed under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) stems from an August 2019 FIR registered by the State Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (SV&ACB) of the Himachal Pradesh Police against Sareen, while he was posted as the ADC in Baddi.

The police case was related to misuse of official position for personal benefits and corruption and bribery, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) said in a statement.

Sareen could not be contacted for a comment on the ED charges made against him.

The SV&ACB arrested Sareen in September 2019 and later, chargesheeted him along with Khanna. Sareen was released on bail in October that year and was posted as the ADC, Dharamshala in 2024.

The central agency said one more FIR was registered against Sareen and others by the Haryana Police in 2022.

"This case related to alleged forgery of partnership deed of Zhenia Pharmaceuticals, Panchkula, increasing Komal Khanna's share from 50 per cent to 95 per cent and threat and intimidation made by Nishant Sareen and Komal Khanna indicating misuse of official position of Nishant Sareen yet again," the ED alleged.

It said complaints of "extortion" by Sareen in his present role as ADC, Dharamshala and inter-connected financial transactions between his family members and pharmaceutical companies are also under investigation.

Documents like drug licences, show-cause notices, clearances issued to pharmaceutical companies, property-related documents and digital devices, including mobile phones, laptops and pen drives, were seized during the searches.

Two sports utility vehicles (SUVs) worth about Rs 32 lakh, more than 40 bank and fixed deposit accounts and three lockers belonging to Sareen and his family members were seized or frozen under the PMLA, the ED said.

"Additionally, more than 60 unaccounted liquor bottles were also found at his (Sareen's) residence at Omaxe Cassia, New Chandigarh," it said.

During the Himachal Pradesh Police's investigation, Sareen faced charges of receiving bribes from pharmaceutical companies based in Baddi, a well known pharma-hub of the state.