ED Raids Himachal ADC Nishant Sareen’s Premises; Luxury Cars, 40 Bank Accounts, and Unaccounted Liquor Seized
Vehicles and liquor seized by ED
Shimla, June 26:
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has launched a major crackdown on Assistant Drug Controller (ADC) of Himachal Pradesh, Nishant Sareen, in connection with serious allegations of corruption and abuse of official position. Over two days—June 22 and 23—the agency conducted raids across seven locations in Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, and Punjab, including Sareen’s residential, official, and commercial premises in Dharamshala, Baddi, Panchkula, and Chandigarh.
The action stems from an older corruption case in which Sareen, during his 2022 posting in Baddi, is alleged to have taken hefty bribes from pharmaceutical companies in exchange for regulatory favors. The Himachal Pradesh Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau had earlier registered an FIR against him under Section 11 of the Prevention of Corruption Act. After being granted bail, he was posted to Dharamshala as ADC in September 2024.
During the ED raids, several incriminating documents were recovered, including drug licenses, show cause notices, approvals granted to pharma firms, and property papers. Officials also seized mobile phones, laptops, pen drives, and other digital devices.
The raids uncovered:
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Two luxury vehicles worth approximately ₹32 lakh
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More than 40 bank accounts and FDRs, linked to Sareen and his family
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Three bank lockers
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Over 60 bottles of unaccounted liquor from his residence in New Chandigarh
In a related case, Haryana Police had earlier filed an FIR against Nishant Sareen and his close associate Komal Khanna for alleged forgery and coercion in altering the partnership deed of Zhenia Pharmaceuticals, Panchkula, increasing Khanna’s stake from 50% to 95%.
The ED is also probing allegations that Sareen, during his posting in Dharamshala, extorted money and routed suspicious financial transactions through accounts held by family members. Investigators are now examining the financial links between Sareen’s family and multiple pharmaceutical companies.
The agency stated that the investigation is ongoing and has hinted at more significant revelations in the coming days.
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