Rs 40L, jewellery worth Rs 1.60 cr seized during raid at BJP leader's house: ED

The team of Enforcement Directorate (ED) has seized Rs 40.62 lakh and jewellery worth Rs 1.61 crore during a raid conducted at the residence of BJP leader Niti Sen Bhatia and his son in Panipat, their pharma company at Paonta Sahib and other places on Thursday under the provisions of Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA)-2002, the ED said in a statement on Monday.

The teams carried out search operations at multiple locations in J&K, Delhi, Panipat, and Paonta Sahib in connection with a case of Raees Ahmed Bhat and others for their reported involvement in the operation of unauthorised sales and diversions of Codeine-Based Cough Syrup (CBCS) and associated monetary gains.

The investigations are being conducted on the basis of an FIR registered by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), Jammu, wherein Bhat was found involved in trafficking of CBCS, widely misused as intoxicant by addicts. CBCS brand named 'Cocrex' was manufactured by Vidit Healthcare, Paonta Sahib, owned by Neeraj Bhatia of Panipat, and found procured, diverted and sold via shell companies M/s SS Industries, Faridabad (owner Sumesh Sareen of Faridabad), and NK Pharmaceuticals, Kansal Pharmaceuticals and Kansal Industries controlled by Niket Kansal and his family members of Delhi, with his accomplice Garv Bhambhari of Faridabad.

During 2019-25, around 55 lakh bottles of CBCS were procured by NK Pharmaceuticals and others against the payment of over Rs 20 crore to Vidit Healthcare. They were suspected to have been diverted in the open market, generating huge amounts, with major parts as cash deposits and other related bank transactions, into such entities.

The NCB, Jammu, had arrested Neeraj Bhatia last year under the NDPS Act. He was released on bail by the Jammu and Kashmir High Court in November.

During the search operations, two accused — Garv Bhambhari and Mamta Kansal (mother of Niket Kansal) — who are absconding were also traced and information was shared with the NCB for appropriate proceedings.

Bhatia’s elder son, Navin, had applied for the BJP ticket for mayoral post in the upcoming civic body elections, but his name was dropped after the raid, party sources said.