The CBI has asked Interpol’s Nigeria wing to confirm if absconding promoter of Vadodara-based Sterling Biotech Nitin Sandesara, wanted in Rs 5,300 crore banking fraud, has moved there.

The CBI poser to the Interpol comes after reports suggested that Sandesara along with his family members have fled from the UAE to Nigeria. India does not have any extradition treaty with Nigeria.

In October 2017, the CBI had booked Sterling Biotech, its directors Chetan Jayantilal Sandesara, Dipti Chetan Sandesara, Rajbhushan Omprakash Dixit, Nitin Jayantilal Sandesara and Vilas Joshi, chartered accountant Hemant Hathi, Andhra Bank ex-director Anup Garg.

The CBI has alleged that the company had taken loans of over Rs 5,000 crore from a consortium led by Andhra Bank which have turned into non-performing assets (NPA).

The FIR has alleged that the total pending dues of the group companies were Rs 5,383 crore as on December 31, 2016.

According to the FIR, the directors of the company “connived with the in-house chartered accountant and falsified material records of the company” like production, turnover and investments in capital assets. The falsification was allegedly done using various India-based entities and those situated abroad.

The CBI FIR further alleged that the directors had quoted false documents under their signatures with “mala fide intention” to induce banks to sanction and release the credit limits.

The company was earlier booked by the CBI in August last year for allegedly bribing senior Income Tax department officials.

On June 28, 2011, the IT department had conducted searches and seizures at 25 premises of Sterling Biotech Ltd, during which a diary containing hand-written records of financial transactions was found, the FIR in this case had alleged.