Sterling Biotech: Court takes cognisance of chargesheet

New Delhi: A Delhi court took cognisance Wednesday of a supplementary charge sheet in connection with the over Rs 5,000 crore-bank loan fraud case involving Gujarat-based Sterling Biotech, against a man arrested for allegedly sending Rs 25 lakh cash to a senior Congress leader's residence.

The court, which had earlier issued open-ended non-bailable warrants against pharma firm's directors, including Chetan Jayantilal Sandesara and Nitin Jayantilal Sandesara, said prima facie there were enough evidence against the accused -- Ranjit Malik alias Johny -- to proceed against him.

Additional Sessions Judge Satish Kumar Arora issued production warrant for November 1 against Malik, who was arrested by the agency for allegedly sending Rs 25 lakh through one Rakesh Chandra to the politician's residence in the national capital.

An "open-ended NBW" does not carry a time limit for execution unlike non-bailable warrants (NBW).

The Enforcement Directorate's Special Public Prosecutor Nitesh Rana, who filed the charge sheet on September 29 under the sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), told the court on Wednesday that report was filed along with all the required documents and explained the chain of proceeds of crime.

He said the probe will still continue in the matter and supplementary charge sheet is likely to be filed.