ED team raids BJP leader Niti Sen Bhatia's residence in Panipat

A team of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) raided the residence of senior BJP leader Niti Sen Bhatia at Model Town in Panipat on Thursday morning. The raid is purportedly being conducted in connection with a money laundering issue.

An ED raid was simultaneously conducted at the Paonta Sahib-based pharmaceutical firm Vidit Health Care, which is owned by BJP leader’s son Neeraj Bhatia.

Former Karnal MP Sanjay Bhatia, who is a close relative of Niti Sen Bhatia, also reached the house on getting information about the raid.

Navin Bhatia, the elder son of Niti Sen Bhatia, has applied for the Mayoral post from Panipat from the BJP in the civic polls. His claim for the mayoral post was being considered to be very strong among the aspirants. The tickets for the mayoral posts are yet to be finalised.

Notably, Neeraj Bhatia, the younger son of Niti Sen Bhatia, who is one of the owners of Vidit Healthcare, Paonta Sahib, was arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), Jammu, in August last year in a case registered in January 14 for the alleged illegal sale of codeine syrup.

The NCB had seized 33.98 kg of codeine-based cough syrup, 900 tablets of alprazolam, 56 capsules of tramadol, 210 tablets of lorazepam, 570 tablets of clobazam and Rs 15.03 lakh in cash from Bhatia's residence and his associate's home in Delhi last year.

However, he has been released on bail by the Jammu and Kashmir High Court.

Sources said the ED team reached the BJP leader’s residence in the wee hours on Thursday along with CRPF personnel. The team also called a mechanic to open the locks of an almirah in the house.

As the information about the ED raid spread in the city, scores of BJP leaders and other supporters reached house, but no one was allowed to enter.

Niti Sen Bhatia is one of the senior-most BJP leaders in Panipat. He was the chairman of the Municipal Committee in 1987 and unsuccessfully contested Assembly elections twice from the Panipat seat. He was also the BJP's district president.