Court issues non-bailable warrant against Congress MLA Satish Sail in Belekeri port scam case

Belekeri Port Scam: Bengaluru A special court for lawmakers has issued a non-bailable warrant against Congress MLA Satish Sail for failing to cooperate in court proceedings related to the Belekeri port illegal iron ore export and theft case.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had registered the case, which dates back to 2014, against Sail and others for allegedly exporting and selling iron ore illegally from the Belekeri port in Karnataka.

During Friday’s hearing, Satish Sail’s junior counsel sought exemption in court, citing absence due to travel, but Judge Santosh Gajanan Bhatt rejected the request, noting that repeated exemptions had previously been granted and further absence was delaying the process.

The court ruled that the reasons cited were inadequate for further postponement and emphasized its Supreme Court-directed mandate to quickly try criminal cases involving current and former MPs and MLAs.

The judge stated that while evidence examination is underway, all other accused have been present, and Sail’s absence will not be tolerated. The court therefore ordered a non-bailable warrant for Sail and rejected his interim medical bail request in a related Enforcement Directorate (ED) case.

The session saw the appearance of 24 accused, as the high-profile illegal mining and export scam continues to unfold in Karnataka’s judicial system.

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