The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is expected to register a first information report (FIR) against a number of realty firms for allegedly securing loans by bribing top officials of public sector banks and LIC Housing Finance in the kickbacks-for-loans scam.

A few more arrests are also said to be in the offing.

According to senior CBI officials, these firms benefited from fraudulently securing loans worth several hundred crores from the banks.

After the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the CBI submits the investigation report to the agency's director, a case is expected to be registered against the alleged offenders.

According to officials, following the registration of the case, the owners of the firms involved would be called in for questioning and their statements will be recorded.

A top executive of a leading city-based realty firm is said to have allegedly facilitated and helped the firms get loans from the public sector banks.

Earlier, in November, the investigating agency had arrested LIC Housing Finance CEO Ramchandra Nair, LIC's secretary (Investment) Naresh Chopra, Bank of India's general manager R N Tayal, Central Bank of India's director Maninder Singh Johar and Punjab National Bank's deputy director Venkoba Gujjal in connection with the housing loan scandal. (See: CBI arrests senior bankers in Rs1,000-crore loan scam)

Rajesh Sharma, chairman and managing director of city-based firm Money Matters and two of his employees Sanjay Sharma and Suresh Gattani had also been arrested for their alleged involvement in the matter.

According to the CBI, the LIC and bank officials colluded with Money Matters to sanction large loans to housing firms, overriding mandatory requirements for such approvals. Too employees of Money Matters were involved in collecting confidential business information from financial institutions and passing it on to their rivals, the CBI said.