Congress MLA from Karwar Satish Sail
Credit: Facebook/Satish Sail
Bengaluru: The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) on Tuesday arrested Congress MLA from Karwar Satish Sail in connection with a case of iron ore theft and illegal transport.
The agency had registered an ECIR (Enforcement Case Information Report) against the legislator and searched his residences in Karwar and Bengaluru on August 13 and 14, reportedly seizing Rs 13 crore in cash and gold ornaments.
The ED arrested Sail after he reportedly failed to appear for questioning in the case. He did not seek more time either. Sources confirmed that his repeated absence led to his arrest.
Following his arrest, ED officials took him to their office in Shanthinagar for questioning and later shifted him to Bowring Hospital for a medical examination. He is expected to be produced before the special court for public representatives, the sources added.
On October 24, 2024, the special court had sentenced Sail to seven years' imprisonment for stealing and illegally transporting Rs 200 crore worth of iron ore that had been seized and stored at Belekeri port in Uttara Kannada district.
However, in November 2024, the high court suspended the sentence and granted him bail.
In 2010, forest officials had seized iron ore at the Belekeri port after illegal mining cases were reported in Ballari.
Sri Mallikarjuna Shipping Pvt Ltd, owned by Sail, had purchased the iron ore from different agencies out of the seized material. It later stole the seized iron ore stock in connivance with the port conservator, Mahesh Biliya, and exported it to China without valid documents, according to the CBI.