Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru/Karwar
Bengaluru/Karwar, Oct 24: The Special Court for People's Representatives has declared Karwar MLA Satish Sail guilty in the Belekeri iron ore export case. Satish Sail, a Congress MLA from Karwar, has been found guilty in all six related cases, as per the verdict issued by Special Court Judge Santosh Gajanan Bhatt. The court has also ordered the immediate custody of all the accused and will announce the quantum of punishment on October 25.
Following the announcement of the verdict, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) took the accused into custody, and they will be shifted to Parappana Agrahara jail. The sentencing will be announced tomorrow, and the accused will be presented in court again at 12:30 pm.
The case involves the illegal transport of 11,312 metric tonnes of iron ore without permission. After reviewing the case, the Special Court found MLA Satish Sail, Mahesh Biliye, and Mallikarjuna Shipping guilty. The court will announce the punishment for MLA Satish Sail and the other two accused tomorrow, leaving the convicts anxious about the possible sentence.
This case is part of six related cases regarding the illegal export of iron ore from Belekeri. The CBI had submitted a charge sheet after investigating the case. Judge Santosh Gajanan Bhatt delivered the final verdict after hearing the arguments from both sides. The case involves not only MLA Satish Sail but also forest officer Mahesh Biliye, among others.
Background
In 2010, manganese was exported from Ballari through Karwar port for foreign trade. This scam was exposed by former Karnataka Lokayukta N Santosh Hegde. According to his report, 7.74 million tonnes of iron ore were illegally exported between 2006-07 and 2010-11, causing significant losses to the state exchequer.
Satish Sail, the owner of Mallikarjuna Shipping Corporation, was charged with criminal conspiracy, cheating, forgery, trespassing, and corruption under the Prevention of Corruption Act. The CBI investigated and filed a charge sheet, and in September 2013, Satish Sail was arrested in connection with the case. The former BSR Congress MLA from Kampli, Suresh Babu, was also arrested in this case, along with Satish Sail.