On Sunday, June 22, 2025, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted raids against Nishant Sareen, the Assistant Drug Controller (ADC) in Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh, as part of a money laundering investigation. The probe is linked to allegations of bribery, extortion, and "political patronage."
The ED's actions targeted multiple locations, including five residential and commercial premises in Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, and Punjab. These locations were linked to Sareen, his family members, specifically his father-in-law Ramesh Kumar Gupta, and an alleged associate, Komal Khanna.
The investigation stems from an FIR filed in August 2019 by the Himachal Pradesh State Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (SV&ACB). The FIR accused Sareen of accepting bribes from pharmaceutical companies based in Baddi, a major pharmaceutical hub in the state, in exchange for regulatory favors. Sareen was arrested in September 2019 and later released on bail in October of the same year. Despite these serious charges, he was reinstated and appointed as ADC in Dharamshala in 2024, raising questions about the due diligence process in government postings.
According to sources within the ED, Sareen's alleged modus operandi involved coercion and extortion of pharmaceutical firms under the guise of ensuring regulatory compliance. Komal Khanna is alleged to have acted as an intermediary in these activities. The ED is currently focused on tracing the flow of bribe money and investigating whether Sareen benefited from political patronage, which allowed him to be reinstated and protected despite the pending criminal charges.
The ED's investigation is based on the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The agency is examining the "misuse" of Sareen's official position during his previous posting in Baddi, Solan district, as well as during his current tenure in Dharamshala. The ED is also investigating the alleged generation of proceeds of crime, along with complaints of extortion and bribery against Sareen.
During the Himachal Pradesh Police investigation, Sareen faced accusations of receiving bribes from pharmaceutical companies in Baddi in return for regulatory favors. The current ED probe seeks to determine the extent of this illicit activity and the potential involvement of others.
