The Uttar Pradesh Police have registered a fresh criminal case against alleged codeine-based cough syrup trafficking kingpin Shubham Jaiswal and his two close associates for allegedly remaining absconding and failing to comply with court orders in an NDPS-link
ed case being investigated by the Special Task Force (STF), officials informed on Tuesday.
According to an FIR lodged at Sushant Golf City police station on Monday, STF inspector Anjani Kumar Pandey, the investigating officer in a high-profile narcotics and fraud case, accused Shubham Jaiswal, believed to be staying in Dubai, along with Varun Singh and Gaurav Jaiswal, of evading arrest despite the issuance of non-bailable warrants and a court proclamation directing them to surrender.
The fresh FIR has been registered under Section 209 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which pertains to failure to appear before a court in response to a proclamation.
Police records show the three accused surfaced during the investigation of a 2024 case registered at Sushant Golf City police station under provisions related to cheating, forgery, criminal conspiracy and destruction of evidence, along with sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. Investigators allege the accused were part of an organised network involved in the illegal supply and distribution of codeine-based cough syrup, a controlled substance often diverted for abuse and illicit trafficking.
During the probe, the STF identified the trio as key accused in the alleged racket. The Special NDPS Court in Lucknow issued non-bailable warrants against them on February 4, 2026. After they allegedly failed to appear, the court initiated proclamation proceedings under Section 82 of the Code of Criminal Procedure and directed them to surrender by March 18, 2026.
Despite completion of the proclamation process as per legal procedure, the accused allegedly did not appear before the court, prompting the STF to seek registration of a separate case. In his complaint, inspector Pandey alleged that the trio had wilfully disobeyed court directions and continued to evade the judicial process.
Acting on the complaint, Sushant Golf City police registered the FIR and handed over the investigation to inspector Rajiv Ranjan Upadhyay.
Police officials said the fresh case could strengthen legal action against the accused and may pave the way for further measures, including attachment of property, if they continue to remain absconding. The three accused, residents of different localities in Varanasi, have allegedly been on the run for several months. Efforts to trace and arrest them are underway, officials said.