Law Catches Up With Corrupt Drug Officer in Himachal. Sareen in custody till October 14.
Shimla, October 10: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has arrested Assistant Drug Controller (HQ) Nishant Sareen in a major crackdown on corruption and money laundering in Himachal Pradesh’s health regulatory system.
Sareen, currently posted in the Directorate of Health and Safety Regulation, was taken into custody on October 9 under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002.
The ED action follows multiple corruption and forgery cases already registered against him by the State Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (SV&ACB) and Panchkula Police.
According to the ED, Sareen misused his official position as Drug Inspector and later as Assistant Drug Controller to extract bribes and personal favours from pharmaceutical firms operating in Himachal.
The probe revealed that he amassed disproportionate assets worth over ₹1.66 crore between 2002 and 2019—far exceeding his known sources of income.
Investigations also linked Sareen to a forgery case involving Zhenia Pharmaceuticals, Panchkula, where he allegedly coerced and manipulated ownership documents to increase his associate Komal Khanna’s share from 50% to 95%.
Earlier this year, the ED had carried out extensive searches at multiple locations, seizing two luxury vehicles worth ₹32 lakh, gold jewellery worth ₹65 lakh, and freezing 48 bank accounts and FDRs holding ₹2.23 crore belonging to Sareen and his family.
Sareen was produced before the Special PMLA Court in Shimla, which remanded him to ED custody till October 14.
Officials said further investigation is underway to trace the full trail of illicit money and assets acquired through abuse of power.
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