Sirmaur firm’s land valued Rs 1 cr attached under PMLA

Fresh action in a high-profile money-laundering investigation has placed Sirmaur district in focus after the Directorate of Enforcement (ED), Jammu Sub-Zonal Office, provisionally attached industrial land valued at nearly Rs 1 crore belonging to Vidit Healthcare Pvt. Ltd., a company registered in Sirmaur, Himachal Pradesh. The attachment has been ordered under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002.

The case originates from an investigation launched by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), Jammu, into allegations that Codeine-based cough syrup (CBCS), branded “Cocrex,” was being illegally diverted for misuse as an intoxicant. Vidit Healthcare, headed by managing partner Neeraj Bhatia and linked with Delhi-based operator Niket Kansal, is accused of playing a central role in the unlawful supply chain.

ED officials revealed that Vidit Healthcare supplied large quantities of the syrup to several entities operated or controlled by Niket Kansal in Delhi between 2018 and 2024. The transactions collectively amount to nearly Rs 16.74 crore. Investigators further traced part of the diverted stock to Srinagar, where the NCB seized a major consignment from Raees Ahmed Bhat on January 14, 2024.

According to the ED, Vidit Healthcare is estimated to have earned gross profits of around Rs 2.92 crore from these illegal sales routed through entities, including S S Industries, Kansal Industries, Nouveta Pharma, Kansal Pharmaceuticals and N.K. Pharmaceuticals.

Enforcement action earlier this year intensified the probe. On February 13, 2025, ED teams conducted searches on the premises of Neeraj Bhatia and Niket Kansal, leading to the recovery of Rs 32 lakh in cash and jewellery worth Rs 1.61 crore from Bhatia’s residence. The subsequent attachment of industrial land in Panipat marks another crucial step aimed at preventing the disposal or further laundering of assets suspected to be linked to the proceeds of crime.

The ED has stated that investigations are continuing to uncover the financial and operational networks connecting Sirmaur, Delhi, Jammu and Srinagar in the illegal CBCS diversion racket. Further probe was underway.