ED attaches Rs1 Crore assets linked to BJP Leader’s son in Codeine Syrup diversion case spanning multiple states
Shimla/Panipat, Nov 25,
In a tightening probe into a multi-state network involved in the illegal diversion of codeine-based cough syrups, the Enforcement Directorate has attached assets worth Rs 1 crore belonging to Neeraj Bhatia — a partner in Healthcare Private Limited and son of senior Haryana BJP leader Neeti Sen Bhatia. The attachment has been made by the ED’s Jammu Sub-Zonal Office under provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
The action stems from an earlier Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) investigation in Jammu, where Bhatia, along with co-accused Niket Kansal and others, was booked for allegedly diverting pharmaceutical-grade Corex and other codeine formulations into illicit supply chains. The illegal distribution network is suspected to have operated for nearly seven years, channeling diverted stocks into Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi and Haryana.
According to ED findings, between 2018 and 2024, Healthcare Private Limited supplied substantial quantities of codeine-based syrups to several entities — including SS Industries, Kansal Industries, Noveta Pharma, Kansal Pharmaceuticals and NK Pharmaceuticals. Investigators say these firms were controlled by Kansal and were allegedly used as conduits for diversion. Part of the stock was traced to Srinagar, where the NCB seized a significant quantity of cough syrup from the residence of Raees Ahmed Bhatt in January 2024.
The ED’s February 2025 search operations at the premises of Bhatia and Kansal yielded Rs 32 lakh in cash and jewellery valued at Rs 1.61 crore. During a raid at Bhatia’s Panipat residence, officials also came across empty jewellery boxes, about Rs 6 lakh in cash and several high-end vehicles, including a Defender, though these recoveries were not detailed in the agency’s official note.
The latest attachment includes industrial land in Panipat held by Healthcare Private Limited, which investigators have categorised as “proceeds of crime.”
Bhatia, who also heads the Sirmaur Drug Manufacturing Association in Himachal Pradesh, remains under the scanner as agencies widen the probe. Seven individuals have been arrested so far, and approximately 34 kg of codeine syrup has been seized in connection with the case.
Officials indicated that further enforcement action is expected as multiple state units continue coordinated investigations.
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