The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday conducted raids on several premises linked to Karnataka Congress MLA Satish Krishna Sail and others. As per the sources, the raids were done as part of a money
laundering investigation against the MLA in a case related to alleged illegal export of iron ore.
At least 15 premises in Karnataka, Goa and Mumbai are being searched under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), the sources said.
Sail is a Congress MLA representing the Karwar assembly constituency in Uttara Kannada district.
Sail, according to the sources, has been accused of exporting illegally mined iron ore which was seized by forest officials at Belekeri port in Karwar, Karnataka.
This caused “loss” to government exchequer for an amount of about Rs 38 crore but the actual value of illegally exported ore is worth hundreds of crores of rupees, the sources said.
The case originated from a 2010 probe by the Karnataka Lokayukta, which discovered about eight lakh tons of illegally transported iron ore from Bellary to Belekeri port.
Last year, the Karnataka High Court suspended the seven-year prison sentence imposed on the MLA in this case. A special court had previously found Sail and others guilty in several cases related to the illegal export of iron ore from the Belekeri port.
