ED attaches ₹4.7 crore properties in Alprazolam laundering case
HYDERABAD: The Directorate of Enforcement (ED), Hyderabad Zonal Office, has provisionally attached immovable properties worth ₹4.79 crore under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, in connection with an alleged money laundering case linked to the illegal manufacture and sale of Alprazolam.
The attachment was made on February 11, 2026. The properties belong to Girmagouni Sudheer, Bishweswar Singh, Rajeshwar Sharma Joshi, Bhavanigari Prabhu Vara Goud and Gajjela Sreesailam Goud, among others. They are located in various districts of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
FIR by Gummadidala police formed basis
The ED initiated the PMLA investigation based on a First Information Report registered by Gummadidala police station in Sangareddy district against several persons allegedly involved in the illegal manufacture, sale and purchase of Alprazolam, a psychotropic substance.
According to the ED, Sudheer had been engaged in buying and selling Alprazolam on a commission basis since 2014. He allegedly operated with the help of his brother, Bhavanigari Prabhu Vara Goud, and brother-in-law, Gajjela Sreesailam Goud.
The accused allegedly supplied Alprazolam to toddy vendors, who mixed it with toddy to increase its potency.
Factory purchased, renamed for alleged manufacture
The ED said Sudheer later expanded the alleged business with the assistance of Bishweswar Singh.
In 2023, Sudheer and Singh purchased a factory of Sai Priya Chemicals at Bacharam village in Abdullapurmet, Hyderabad, in partnership with Rajeshwar Sharma Joshi. The unit was renamed Stanchem Chemicals.
The accused allegedly began manufacturing Alprazolam at the factory premises. The ED stated that the sale proceeds were shared among the partners in proportion to their investment.
The agency said the proceeds of crime were received in cash. The money was allegedly used to acquire immovable properties through direct cash payments or by depositing cash in bank accounts before purchasing properties.
Cash deposits were made in the accounts of the accused and their wives, the ED said. Properties were also purchased in their names and in the names of their spouses.
Earlier, on August 21, 2025, the ED conducted searches at seven premises in connection with the case. The searches resulted in the seizure of documents, ₹5,00,000 in Indian currency, foreign currencies including USD 834 and Euro 1,910, a 100-gram gold bullion piece and 17 silver bars weighing about 2,996.231 grams.
Further investigation is under way.
