The role of Assistant Commissioners and Drug Inspectors of the Food Safety and Drug Administration (FSDA) involved in issuing wholesale drug licences over the past six years has come under suspicion following revelations in the illegal trade of codeine-based cough syrup.
After several firms were found to be operating only on paper, senior officials of the department have initiated a probe into all officers posted in Varanasi during this period.
During the investigation, multiple firms were discovered to be non-functional or bogus. This has raised serious questions about the officers who issued licences without proper verification.
FSDA Additional Secretary Rekha S Chauhan confirmed that the probe is being conducted with full transparency. She added that the roles of not only the traders but also the Assistant Commissioners and Drug Inspectors who sanctioned the licences are under investigation. “Strict action will be taken against any officer found guilty,” she stated.
The case came to light after it was revealed that Shaili Messers Traders, a Ranchi-based firm owned by Bhola Jaiswal, father of the main accused Shubham Jaiswal, had supplied codeine-based cough syrup to 126 firms in Varanasi. Many of these firms were later found to be fake. Investigations revealed that some licence addresses belonged to residential houses, while others were general stores—violating mandatory inspection rules that require drug inspectors to physically verify premises before granting licences.
Since 2019, three assistant commissioners and five drug inspectors have been posted in Varanasi, during which 89 wholesale drug licences were issued. The irregularities linked to these licences have placed significant responsibility on officers who served during this time.
Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh Congress President Ajay Rai has alleged that dismissed constable Alok Singh, arrested in connection with the cough syrup scam, is receiving preferential treatment in jail. Rai posted on Facebook on Wednesday, accusing the government of treating Singh “like a son-in-law.” He questioned why individuals involved in massive drug-related crimes are treated leniently while petty offenders face harsh treatment.
The investigation continues, and further administrative action is expected as more discrepancies surface.