NCB probes extortion, blackmail angle

Tramadol case

The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has expanded the probe into the illegal tramadol supply case. The central agency was now investigating into the allegations from the angle of extortion and blackmail.

Notably, during the inquiry into the illegal tramadol supply to private hospitals case, the NCB has claimed to have stumbled upon a bigger racket of extortion, fraud and black marketing.

An NCB official privy to the investigations said that the agency has received permission from the appropriate authorities to hold a probe in this direction also which otherwise was not its mandate.

The probe revealed that the 'racket' also included blackmailing the owners of private hospitals by using their influence in the Municipal Corporation's Municipal Town Planning (MTP) wing.

"We have got the permission to question officials in the Municipal Town Planning wing. If need be, the Punjab Vigilance Bureau would also be involved to assist in the investigations," he said.

The case pertains to the investigations in the alleged illegal supply of tramadol tablets to private hospitals beyond their allotted quota.

The central agency had earlier arrested a web journalist and a pharmaceutical company owner Deepak Bhandari in the case. His brother Amit Bhandari and two private hospital doctors were also arrested on May 6 this year. Several other members of the Bhandari family were named in the case as well.

Amit Bhandari was first arrested on May 2 following the seizure of over 30,000 tramadol tablets, a prescription painkiller often misused as a narcotic. The next day, Dr Malhotra and Dr Rajan were arrested after 2,000 tramadol tablets were recovered from each of them without valid licences to store such psychotropic drugs. The Enforcement Directorate was also likely to probe the case.