VARANASI, Nov. 20 -- A Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been constituted to expose the nexus involved in a banned cough syrup racket registered under the Kotwali police station area. Junab Ali, drug inspector of Varanasi district, lodged a complaint alleging that Bhola Prasad, a resident of Silver Springs Flat, 1-CR-K, and proprietor of M/s Shaili Traders, Plot No. 187/188, Dupudana Industrial Area, Hatia, Ranchi, Jharkhand-734003, along with the firm's competent person, Shubham Jaiswal, son of Bhola Prasad and a resident of A-9/24-J, Kayastha Tola, Prahlad Ghat, Varanasi-221001, and several others, illegally sold a large quantity of codeine-containing cough syrup for intoxicating and non-medical use to 26 firms based in Varanasi district, said a police officer. Based on the complaint, a case was registered at Kotwali police station under Section 26(d) of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985, last week, the senior officer added. To uncover the full nexus and identify others involved in the illegal activity, an SIT was formed on Monday. The team includes additional deputy commissioner of police, Kashi Zone, Sarvanan T., as chairman; assistant commissioner of police, Kotwali, Atul Anjan Tripathi; and the inspector-in-charge, Kotwali, as members. Deputy commissioner of police, Kashi Zone, Gaurav Banswal, has been instructed to ensure that the SIT conducts a thorough investigation under his close supervision, provides weekly progress reviews, and keeps the police commissioner informed from time to time, said commissioner of police Mohit Agarwal. At least 93,000 bottles of cough syrups were recovered from a godown in Rohania area of Varanasi. Of these, 20000 bottles are expired, said officials. Deputy commissioner of police Varuna Zone Pramod Kumar said that a team raided a warehouse, seizing a large quantity of cough syrup. The seized syrup is estimated to be worth approximately Rs.2 crore....