Bhatkal: In a landmark judgment, a special court has sentenced Karwar Congress MLA Satish Sail to seven years in prison for his involvement in the Belekeri iron ore export case. This case, linked to illegal iron ore smuggling at the Belekeri port in Karnataka’s Uttara Kannada district, resulted in Sail being found guilty on multiple counts.

The Bengaluru special court initially convicted Satish Sail on October 24. Today, Saturday, the court announced a seven-year prison sentence along with substantial fines.

According to media reports, the exact fines imposed on Sail vary. Some sources report a cumulative fine of approximately Rs 15 crore, while others list individual fines across multiple charges totaling over Rs 47 crore. These fines reportedly include amounts of Rs 9.36 crore, Rs 9.20 crore, Rs 9.54 crore, Rs 9.25 crore, and Rs 90 lakh. The court has ordered that any fines collected be remitted to the government.

Following the CBI’s registration of the case, due to his involvement in transporting 11,312 metric tonnes of iron ore without authorization, Sail was initially arrested and spent a year in jail before being released on bail. However, after his recent conviction, the CBI re-arrested him last Thursday.

The court also found former port conservator Mahesh Biliye and Mallikarjuna Shipping guilty of charges related to conspiracy and corruption. Although Sail requested leniency due to health concerns, the court imposed the maximum sentence given the severity of the case.