Sterling Biotech case: ED files supplementary chargesheet in Delhi court
It is alleged that the company took loans of Rs 5,383 crore from a consortium led by Andhra Bank, which later turned into non-performing assets.
ED wrote to seven countries requesting them to keep a watch on the Sandesaras’ movement.
The Enforcement Directorate on Saturday filed a supplementary chargesheet in a Delhi court in connection with the Rs 5,000-crore Sterling Biotech case, against a man who was arrested allegedly for sending Rs 25 lakh in cash to the official residence of a senior Congress leader.
Additional Sessions Judge Satish Kumar Arora issued a production warrant against the accused, Ranjit Malik alias Johny, to appear before the court on October 3. Malik, who is in judicial custody, was arrested by the agency for allegedly sending Rs 25 lakh through a man, Rakesh Chandra, to the residence of the senior Congress leader in Delhi.
The chargesheet filed by the ED, under sections of Prevention of Money Laundering Act, would be up for consideration on October 3. The chargesheet also named Delhi based businessman Gagan Dhawan, who was arrested earlier and is currently out on bail.
Nitin Sandesara and his brother Chetan Jayantilal Sandesara, both directors in the Vadodara-based pharmaceutical firm, are key accused in the case. It is alleged that the company took loans of Rs 5,383 crore from a consortium led by Andhra Bank, which later turned into non-performing assets. The case is also believed to involve politicians and bureaucrats. The Sandesara brothers have been absconding since the case was registered by the CBI in October 2017. The ED is probing a case of money-laundering against the company and the Sandesaras. Earlier the court had issued an open-ended non-bailable warrant against the Sandesara brothers. An “open-ended NBW” does not carry a time limit for execution unlike non-bailable warrants (NBW).
Recently, Indian agencies received information that Nitin Sandesara has left the UAE where he had been detained. In order to locate him, Indian agencies have been writing to separately to various countries.
On September 23, The Indian Express reported that Sandesara had left the Gulf country and his location could be anywhere between the UK and Nigeria. The CBI approached the Interpol in Nigeria to locate him and his family, while the ED wrote to seven countries requesting them to keep a watch on the Sandesaras’ movement.
CBI sources on Tuesday asked the Interpol office in Nigeria to intimate their location to the CBI if they are in the African country.
The ED, on the other hand, got in touch with the seven countries including the UK, UAE, Hong Kong, Nigeria and Mauritius and reminded them that the passports of Sandesara and his brother Chetan Sandesara, Chetan’s wife Deepti Sandesara and one Hiteshbhai Patel have been revoked and they are likely to visit their country or be already be in.
The ED had also informed that the Sandesaras have incorporated their companies in all these seven countries and hold bank accounts. Adding to this, the ED also said the Sandesaras used these companies to launder money received from a consortium of banks led by Andhra Bank.
According to CBI and ED, the Sandesaras brothers operate in Nigeria, Mauritius, and UAE and hold multiple bank accounts in these countries.
(With PTI inputs)
Share
