The Allahabad High Court has refused to grant regular bail to Vibhor Rana and Vishal Singh in a case relating to the alleged illegal stocking and transportation of codeine-based Phensedyl cough syrup. With the rejection of their pleas, both accused have been directed to surrender.
Justice Karunesh Singh Pawar of the Lucknow Bench passed the order on separate bail applications filed by the two accused. The court had earlier granted them interim bail on December 18.
Opposing the bail pleas, Additional Advocate General Anoop Trivedi submitted that law-enforcement agencies had received inputs over several days about the illegal storage of Phensedyl and other drugs for intoxicating purposes and their transportation to multiple states, including Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Assam, and even across the border to Bangladesh.
He informed the court that on February 12, 2024, the Uttar Pradesh government constituted a joint team of the Special Task Force (STF) and the Food Safety and Drug Administration (FDA) to investigate the matter.
On April 8, 2024, the STF received specific information that a truck loaded with cough syrup was being transported from Transport Nagar in Lucknow to Cooch Behar in West Bengal. Acting on the tip-off, the STF intercepted the vehicle on Sultanpur Road and seized 52 cartons of cough syrup.
During questioning, the truck driver, Dharmendra Kumar, allegedly disclosed the involvement of Rana and Singh. The AAG further stated that Rana and his associates were arrested from Saharanpur on November 11, 2025.
The State argued that there was sufficient material against the accused and that they were part of a larger organised network engaged in the illegal trade of regulated codeine-based syrups. It was also submitted that a wider investigation into the alleged racket—estimated by officials to be worth hundreds of crores of rupees—is underway.
After considering the submissions and the material placed on record, the High Court declined to grant regular bail to the accused. In view of the rejection of their bail pleas, the interim protection granted earlier stands withdrawn, and both accused have been directed to surrender.
Authorities in Uttar Pradesh are continuing a broader investigation into the alleged illegal stocking and interstate and cross-border trafficking of codeine-based cough syrups.
