Belekeri Scam: Heavy jail sentence for MLA Satish Sail; disqualification from Legislative Assembly likely?

Team Udayavani, Oct 26, 2024, 4:47 PM IST

Bengaluru: On Saturday, October 26, the Special Court for People’s Representatives pronounced the punishment for MLA Satish Sail and others involved in the Belekeri iron ore theft case.

Karwar MLA Satish Sail received sentences in multiple charges within this case. In the first case of conspiracy, he was sentenced to five years in prison, while the fraud case resulted in a seven-year prison term. In addition, the court sentenced him to three years of imprisonment for theft. Furthermore, the court imposed a total fine of Rs 9.60 crore on him.

Given that Sail’s sentence exceeds two years, there is a high possibility of his disqualification from his position as an MLA.

Seven Individuals Found Guilty 

In his ruling, Justice Santosh Gajanan Bhat found seven individuals, including Karwar MLA Satish Sail and then-port official Mahesh Biliye, guilty on Thursday. While the court had initially scheduled the sentencing for Friday, the arguments and counterarguments led to a final announcement on Saturday.

Representing the CBI, senior government prosecutor K.S. Hema argued that the accused had participated in the illegal transport of 3,100 metric tonnes of iron ore, causing an estimated loss of Rs 250 crore to the government. She urged the court to impose maximum jail terms and fines, stating that the accused had engaged in severe economic crimes.

Belekeri Port Case Involved Six Separate Cases

The Belekeri iron ore theft case, which saw six cases registered, had all cases reviewed by the court, resulting in the conviction of all accused, including MLA Satish Sail. Other convicts include Deputy Port Conservator Mahesh Biliye, Chetan Shah, Managing Director of M/s Ashapura Minechem Ltd; K.V. Nagaraj, also known as Swastik Nagaraj, and K.V.N. Govindaraj, both directors at M/s Swastik Steels (Hospet) Pvt. Ltd; K. Mahesh Kumar, also called Karapudi Mahesh Kumar, a partner at Sri Lakshmi Venkateshwara Minerals; and Prem Chand Garg, Managing Director of M/s Lal Mahal Ltd.

The court ruled that all these accused had indeed committed the offences. Another accused Somasekhar, the owner of  ILC Industries Ltd had passed away earlier.