ED seizes assets worth INR 32 lakh, liquor bottles in probe against Himachal drug official

HORNBILL TV

The ED seized two vehicles worth approximately INR 32 lakh, over 40 bank accounts, fixed deposits, and three lockers linked to Assistant Drug Controller Nishant Sareen and his family.

Chandigarh (Punjab) [India], July 9 (HBTV): The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has seized two vehicles worth approximately INR 32 lakh, over 40 bank accounts, fixed deposits, and three lockers linked to Assistant Drug Controller Nishant Sareen and his family, as part of a probe into alleged misuse of official position, corruption, and bribery.

The searches were conducted on June 22 and 23 at seven locations in Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, and Punjab, including residential, commercial, and government premises.

According to an official statement from the ED: 'Enforcement Directorate's Chandigarh Zone has seized two vehicles worth approximately INR 32 lakh, more than 40 bank accounts and Fixed Deposit receipts, and three lockers belonging to Nishant Sareen (presently posted as Assistant Drug Controller, Dharamshala) and his family members during searches conducted on June 22–23 at seven residential, commercial premises and Government office located in Himachal Pradesh, Haryana and Punjab in a case related to misuse of official position for personal benefits and corruption and bribery while being posted as Assistant Drug Controller, Baddi, Himachal Pradesh.'

The agency also recovered more than 60 unaccounted liquor bottles from Sareen's residence in New Chandigarh.

'Additionally, more than 60 unaccounted liquor bottles were also found at his residence at Omaxe Cassia, New Chandigarh,' the statement read.

Separately, on Wednesday, the ED conducted searches at 18 locations in Karnataka in connection with the alleged engineering seat blocking scam involving private engineering colleges in Bengaluru.

Sources said the ED's Bengaluru office raided the premises of accused colleges, trustees of BMS College, their main associates, private education consultants, and several seat-blocking agents.

According to agency officials, the primary accused include Bhusanayana Mukundadas Sreenivasaiah (BMS) College of Engineering, Akash Institute of Engineering and Technology, and New Horizon College of Engineering. These institutions and their associates are suspected of financial irregularities in the seat allocation process.

The alleged scam involved blocking seats in private engineering colleges with the intention of later selling them at a premium, thereby depriving deserving candidates of fair admission opportunities.

(ANI)