Cough syrup racket: Varanasi police issue lookout circular against prime accused, three others
LUCKNOW: Varanasi Police has issued a lookout circular against Shubham Jaiswal, the prime accused in multi-crore codeine cough syrup case on Tuesday. Police also announced a reward of Rs 50,000 upon receiving information regarding the accused. According to Varanasi Police sources, lookout circulars were issued against three other accused including Divesh Jaiswal, Amit Jaiswal and Akash Pathak, all Shubham Jaiswals accomplices. Additionally, Varanasi Police Commissioner Mohit Agarwal said that a reward of Rs 50,000 has been announced for anyone providing information leading to Jaiswals arrest. As per the intelligence inputs, Jaiswal had fled the country and is suspected to be in Dubai. Sources claimed that the three other accusedAkash, Divesh and Amitwere entrusted with different responsibilities in running the racket of smuggling and illegal diversion of the syrup. While Akash was given the responsibility of taking care of the bank transactions of the rime accused, Divesh and Amit got the fake firms registered. A comprehensive verification exercise is also underway, wherein, the land records, building approvals and transaction histories associated with Jaiswal are under the scrutiny of the authorities concerned. Even the source of Jaiswals funds used to acquire assets are on the radar of probe agencies as they suspect that the proceeds may be linked to the racket. Responding to queries on whether properties worth Rs 40 crore linked to the accused had been identified in the city, Varanasi Police Commissioner said the verification process was on and that the value of the assets under scrutiny could increase as the investigation would progress. He did not rule out coercive action against the properties saying it would be initiated only after documentary evidence and ownership records were fully verified. Sources said that the police authorities had shared details of the properties with the registry office and the tehsil administration for the ownership verification and transaction records. While confirmations were received for some properties, verification in several others was pending, said the informed sources. The Varanasi Development Authority (VDA) has also been roped in, with officials asked to examine whether the construction of the identified properties conforms to the maps and approvals granted by the authority, sources added. As per the official information, in all 78 persons have been arrested so far across the state in connection with the cough syrup racket and action has been initiated against 134 firms. It may be recalled that in the wake of the magnitude of the racket spanning multiple districts of Uttar Pradesh and other states, a three-member Special Investigation Team (SIT), headed by an officer of Inspector General rank, was established by the UP government to oversee the probe into the illegal storage, sale and trafficking of codeine-based cough syrup and other narcotic medicines. According to an official, the SIT will also examine illegal financial transactions linked to the trafficking of codeine syrup, including diversion of consignments, inter-state syndicates and suspected money laundering. The team has further been tasked with initiating extradition proceedings against accused persons who have fled the country to evade arrest. Coldrif cough syrup racket rocks Uttar Pradesh Assembly; CM denies deaths due to fake medicine
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