Chandigarh: In a significant order underlining the seriousness of large-scale diversion of prescription narcotics, the Punjab and Haryana High Court on February 16 dismissed the anticipatory bail plea of Parshotam Lal Goyal, a key accused in a multi-state Narcotics Control Bureau probe involving commercial quantities of Tramadol, cough syrups, Alprazolam, and other psychotropic substances.
Justice Sumeet Goel held that the offences attract the stringent twin conditions of Section 37 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, and custodial interrogation is necessary to unravel the alleged conspiracy.
The order comes amid estimates that the racket is worth around Rs 600 crore, with seizures linked to pharmaceutical units in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Haryana, and Punjab.
34 lakh psychotropic tablets, over 10 lakh cough syrup bottles
The investigation began with the seizure of 5,000 Tramadol tablets in Amritsar and expanded into a wider probe that allegedly uncovered a supply chain of controlled drugs manufactured under valid licences but diverted to non-existent or fictitious medical agencies.
In February 2025, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB)’s Amritsar Zonal Unit registered a case under several sections, including the NDPS Act, against Goyal, an Ambala-based businessman and former, and allegedly continuing, partner in Digital Vision in Himachal Pradesh’s Kala Amb.
The complaint lists 13 major recoveries between February and November 2025. These included over 80 kg of loose Tramadol Hydrochloride, lakhs of tablets and capsules of Tramadol and Alprazolam, and nearly 9 lakh bottles of Codeine Phosphate cough syrup, each 100 ml.
In all, the haul includes around 34 lakh psychotropic tablets, over 10 lakh cough syrup bottles and bulk raw material, making it one of the largest alleged pharmaceutical diversion cases in the region.
