LUCKNOW: Videos of a sprawling mansion in one of Lucknow’s most upscale neighborhoods ricocheted across social media this week, prompting a blunt question: how does a police constable afford a home like this? The answer, investigators say, may lie in a widening probe into the illicit trade of codeine-based cough syrup an underground economy now drawing scrutiny from state police, central agencies and a newly formed special investigation team.
A Mansion That Set Off Alarms
When the Enforcement Directorate conducted raids on Thursday at a residence in Lucknow’s Sushant Golf City, the operation might have remained a routine chapter in a narcotics-linked financial investigation. Instead, visuals of the property large, ornate and unmistakably expensive quickly became the focus of public attention.
The house belongs to Alok Pratap Singh, a Uttar Pradesh police constable who is currently in custody in connection with the alleged illegal trafficking of codeine-based cough syrups, according to the news agency ANI. Online, the images triggered disbelief and anger. Commenters pointed to the in-hand salary of a police constable roughly ₹40,000 a month and questioned how such assets could be accumulated without illicit income.
The reaction was not limited to outrage. Jokes, barbed remarks and sardonic comparisons flooded social platforms, underscoring a deeper unease about corruption within the very institutions tasked with enforcing the law.
The Codeine Trail
Investigators say the case is part of a broader pattern: the diversion of codeine-based cough syrups from legitimate pharmaceutical supply chains into an illicit market spanning districts and state borders. Such syrups, legal under regulated conditions, are frequently abused as narcotics and trafficked for profit.
According to official statements, multiple police cases have been registered across Uttar Pradesh in recent weeks, pointing to organised groups involved in illegal sale, storage and transport. The scale and geographic spread of the activity prompted the state government to constitute a special investigation team (SIT), reflecting concerns that routine district-level policing was insufficient to address the networks involved.
The SIT, officials said, was necessary because the alleged offences cut across jurisdictions and departments, involving not only traffickers but also possible collusion within regulatory and enforcement systems.
A Web of Agencies and Raids
The investigation has expanded beyond Uttar Pradesh. Enforcement Directorate teams have carried out searches at multiple locations, including Lucknow, Varanasi, Jaunpur and Saharanpur, as well as Ranchi in Jharkhand and Ahmedabad in Gujarat. Officials said these searches were aimed at tracing financial flows and identifying assets believed to be linked to proceeds of crime.
In Singh’s case, the agency had earlier issued a notice asking him to appear for questioning on December 8. When he failed to comply, officials said, further action was initiated. His arrest and the subsequent raids placed the alleged nexus between narcotics trafficking and illicit wealth squarely in public view.
At the administrative level, the three-member SIT will be led by L. R. Kumar, the Inspector General of Police (Law and Order). Senior Superintendent of Police Sushil Ghule Chandrabhanu and Akhilesh Kumar Jain, an assistant commissioner in the Food Safety and Drug Administration Department, will serve as members an indication of the inquiry’s dual focus on law enforcement and pharmaceutical regulation.
Public Trust Under Strain
Beyond the specifics of the case, The visibility of Singh’s alleged assets circulated far more widely than any charge sheet has sharpened public skepticism, particularly in a state that has repeatedly vowed to crack down on organised crime.
Officials caution that investigations are ongoing and that conclusions about guilt or complicity will rest with the courts. Yet the symbolism of the mansion, juxtaposed with a constable’s official income, has already left a mark on public perception.
