Tightening the noose around liquor baron Vijay Mallya , the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) conducted searches in the Mumbai, Bengaluru, Goa offices of Mallya and his now defunct Kingfisher Airlines in connection with a case concerning loan given to the company by IDBI Bank.IDBI Bank had approved a loan of Rs 950 crore to Kingfisher Airlines despite the company’s negative credit ratings and net worth. A case was registered against Mallya, A Raghunathan, who served as the chief financial officer (CFO) of the airlines and other unknown officials of IDBI Bank for allegedly violating banking norms in sanction and disbursement of credit limits of Rs 950 crore.CBI sources said this was a bank fraud case and the issue of quid pro quo cannot be ruled out since Kingfisher Airlines misrepresented facts regarding the company’s credit rating and net worth.IDBI’s loan of Rs 950 crore has been under the scanner for some time but the CBI launched a probe now and intends to take it to a logical conclusion. Sources said if prima facie criminality is established, a First Information Report will be registered.Several parliamentarians had complained and even written to former prime minister Manmohan Singh about alleged wrongdoings in the functioning of IDBI Bank.The CBI is also looking into loans given by the State Bank of India to Kingfisher. Meanwhile, a UB Group spokesperson said the CBI officials carried out searches at the company’s premises in Bengaluru, Goa and Mumbai.“The CBI officials visited UB Group premises in Bengaluru, Goa and Mumbai in the course of an investigation regarding a loan facility availed by Kingfisher Airlines. The company cooperated with the officials and provided the necessary documents and will continue to offer cooperation,” UB Group spokesperson Sumanto Bhattachrya said. Bengaluru-headquartered United Breweries Group is the parent company of Kingfisher Airlines.