The Enforcement Directorate’s Shimla Sub-Zonal Office apprehended Nishant Sareen on October 9, 2025. Sareen, who currently holds the position of Assistant Drug Controller (HQ) in Himachal Pradesh’s Directorate of Health and Safety Regulation, was arrested under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002. The arrest is a development in an ongoing investigation into allegations of corruption, forgery, cheating, accumulation of disproportionate assets, and criminal conspiracy involving Sareen.
The probe by the Enforcement Directorate stems from a First Information Report (FIR) filed by the State Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (SV&ACB) of the Himachal Pradesh Police, under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988. The case against Sareen was initiated during his tenure as Assistant Drug Controller in Baddi, leading to his previous arrest by the SV&ACB and subsequent charge-sheeting along with his associate, Komal Khanna.
Additionally, the Panchkula Police in Haryana registered FIR No. 215/2022, accusing Sareen and Khanna of fraudulent activities related to the partnership deed of Zhenia Pharmaceuticals, Panchkula. The police alleged that Sareen and Khanna manipulated the deed, increasing Khanna’s share from 50% to 95% through coercion and deception.
In a parallel development, the SV&ACB in Shimla registered FIR No. 08/2025 against Sareen in September 2025 for allegedly amassing assets worth Rs 1.66 crore illicitly between April 2002 and August 2019, spanning his roles as Drug Inspector and subsequently as Assistant Drug Controller.
According to the Enforcement Directorate, Sareen exploited his official position to solicit bribes and favors from pharmaceutical company owners, resulting in illicit gains that funded a lavish lifestyle and undisclosed assets. Previous searches conducted by the ED yielded the confiscation of two vehicles valued at Rs 32 lakh, gold and jewelry worth Rs 65 lakh, and the discovery of 48 bank accounts and fixed deposit receipts collectively holding around Rs 2.23 crore, linked to Sareen and his family members.
The Enforcement Directorate affirmed that Nishant Sareen is under custody pursuant to the PMLA, with ongoing efforts to uncover additional ill-gotten gains and identify all parties involved in the corruption and forgery schemes.