New Delhi/Shimla, Jun 22 (PTI) The Enforcement Directorate on Sunday conducted searches against a Himachal Pradesh-based Assistant Drug Controller (ADC), his family members and some others as part of a money laundering investigation linked to charges of bribery and "political patronage", official sources said.

The action has been taken against Nishant Sareen, currently posted as ADC Dharamshala, his father-in-law Ramesh Kumar Gupta and an alleged associate Komal Khanna apart from some others, they said.

Five residential and commercial premises in Himachal Pradesh, Haryana and Punjab were searched. The probe relates to "misuse" of official position by the officer when he was earlier posted as ADC in Baddi (Solan district) as well as during his current tenure, ED sources said.

The central agency, according to the sources, is also investigating the alleged generation of proceeds of crime in this case apart from charges of "political patronage and complaints of extortion and bribe" against Sareen.

The officer or his legal representatives could not be contacted immediately for a comment on the charges made by the ED.

The office of the drug controller is part of the directorate of health safety and regulation of the HP government.

The money laundering case filed under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) stems from an August, 2019 FIR registered by the State Vigilance and Anti-corruption Bureau (SV&ACB) of Himachal Pradesh Police against Sareen while he was posted as ADC in Baddi.

The SV&ACB arrested him in September, 2019 and later chargesheeted him along with Khanna. Sareen was released on bail in October that year and was posted as ADC, Dharamshala in 2024, the sources said.

Sareen, during the Himachal Police investigation, faced charges of receiving bribe from pharmaceutical companies based in Baddi, a pharma hub in the state. PTI NES DV DV

Money laundering probe targets state drug controller and associates over alleged bribery and political patronage. An enforcement agency carried out searches of premises linked to an Assistant Drug Controller and associates in a money laundering investigation under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, probing alleged misuse of office, generation of proceeds of crime, and allegations of bribery, extortion and political patronage; the action follows a prior FIR, arrest and chargesheet by the State Vigilance and Anti corruption Bureau, and covers multiple locations to collect material for the probe.