NEW DELHI, 8 NOV

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has attached assets worth Rs 21 crore belonging to Karnataka Congress MLA Satish Krishna Sail, as part of a money laundering investigation linked to alleged illegal iron ore exports. A provisional order under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) was issued on 6 November, with the assets held through Sail's Goa-based company, Shree Mallikarjun Shipping Pvt Ltd (SMSPL).

Sail, 59, who represents the Karwar assembly constituency in Uttara Kannada, was arrested by the ED in September but later granted interim bail on medical grounds. However, this bail was revoked by a special PMLA court on Friday.

The attached assets include 12,500 square metres of land in Chicalim Village, Mormugao; 16,850 square metres of agricultural property known as "Pedro Galle Cotta" in south Goa; and multiple floors of a commercial building in Vasco Da Gama, with a current market value estimated at Rs 64 crore, according to the ED.

The investigation stems from a 2010 case by the Karnataka Lokayukta, which uncovered around eight lakh tons of illegally transported iron ore from Bellary to Belekeri port. The agency alleges that Sail colluded with port officials to export illegally procured seized iron ore to China through vessels, employing another company based in Hong Kong for the transactions.