HC suspends 7-year jail to Congress MLA in Belekeri iron ore case
Justice M Nagaprasanna of the HC reviewed the appeal filed by Satish Sail and other accused challenging the prison sentence handed down by the special court for public representatives
The high court on Wednesday ordered a suspension of the seven year sentence to Congress MLA Satish Sail in connection with the Belekeri iron ore disappearance case.
Justice M Nagaprasanna of the HC reviewed the appeal filed by Sail and other accused challenging the prison sentence handed down by the special court for public representatives. The special court for public representatives had sentenced and fined the accused in a total of six cases related to the Belekeri iron ore case.
“The high court has ordered that 25% of the penalty amount be deposited in the trial court within six weeks. Additionally, the high court has suspended the sentence imposed by the special court, subject to the condition that the penalty amount is deposited in the trial court,” said a court officials in the know of the development.
The special court’s conviction, on October 25, sentenced Sail, alongside other people and Mallikarjun Shipping Company, for their roles in illegal iron ore exports from the Belekeri port, a prominent aspect of Karnataka’s mining case from 2008 to 2013. Sail, representing the Karwar constituency, was implicated due to his ownership of Mallikarjun Shipping, which was among the stevedore companies handling shipments at Belekeri port.
The case dates back to the 2010 investigation by the Karnataka Lokayukta, which uncovered approximately eight lakh tons of illegally transported iron ore from Bellary to Belekeri port. The inquiry highlighted that the shipments lacked necessary mining, forest, and transport permits, leading to a larger probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
In 2012, the Supreme Court directed the CBI to investigate illegal iron ore extraction from Karnataka’s forest areas, with particular focus on activities between January 2009 and May 2010.
The CBI’s findings implicated several high-profile people, including BJP leaders G Janardhan Reddy and Anand Singh, as well as Congress MLA B Nagendra, who was with the BJP at the time. Authorities alleged that port officials and companies, including Mallikarjun Shipping, facilitated the unauthorised export of approximately 5 million metric tonnes of iron ore, valued at around ₹2,500 crore.
The special court, in its ruling had stressed the need for public officials to set high standards of integrity, said: “Though the offence was not committed by him as an MLA, it is required to be remanded that people in high office should always behave in a manner which will be exemplary to the society and certainly not of committing fraud on the public at large.”
With the HC suspension order, Sail and his co-defendants are likely to be released on Thursday pending their compliance with the stipulated fine payment.