Cough syrup racket: Absconders’ assets on verge of being forfeited

Varanasi: Properties of Prashant Upadhyaya, close aide of codeine-based cough syrup racket kingpin Shubham Jaiswal will be forfeited if he did not appear in court by Mar 30. This was announced by Kotwali police on Friday notices were pasted at two properties belonging to Upadhyay. Earlier, Sarnath police too completed formalities of similar announcement about a property in Sigra owned by Jaiswal. Fast Track Court has given time to both absconders to appear before it by Mar 30.On Friday evening, Kotwali police carried out a public proclamation amidst drum beats at Upadhyay's house. The notice pasted on the gate of his houses in St John's Colony Marhauli and Shankarpuri Colony of Mahmoorganj area directed him to appear before ACJM Fast Track Court by Mar 30.ACP Kotwali Vijay Pratap Singh said if Upadhyay failed to appear before court by the given date in the case registered against him under the NDPS Act in the cough syrup smuggling episode, process to forfeit his properties will be completed.Sarnath police on Mar 25 pasted notices of attachment of property of kingpin Shubham at his Sigra residence. The property is already attached by police while initiating action against Shubham's father Bhola Prasad Jaiswal, who is in jail. Sarnath police station in charge Pankaj Kumar Tripathi said if Shubham continued to abscond, process will be initiated to attach his property .Earlier, properties owned by Shubham's father Bhola and other family members, including house where Sarnath police completed the formality of serving notices of attachment, were already attached by Sonbhadra and Rohania police.Cases in connection with codeine cough syrup smuggling by Shubham Jaiswal's gang are lodged with Kotwali, Rohaniya, Sarnath and other police stations in Varanasi, while investigation by Sonbhadra police is in progress.