DCM DK Shivakumar accused the Enforcement Directorate of politically targeting Congress MLAs after Karwar legislator Satish Sail’s arrest.
Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar has strongly criticised the Enforcement Directorate (ED) after the arrest of Karwar Congress MLA Satish Krishna Sail, accusing the agency of deliberately singling out Congress legislators. “Why arrest Satish Sail? They are targeting only Congress MLAs. They are going out of their way to target us,” he said.
Sail was arrested on Tuesday night by ED’s Bengaluru Zonal Office in connection with a money laundering investigation linked to illegal iron ore exports. The MLA, who had earlier skipped summons, was questioned through the day before being taken into custody and is expected to be produced in court today.
The ED’s probe stems from a 2010 illegal export case involving 1.25 lakh metric tonnes of iron ore from Belekeri Port, valued at ₹86.78 crore. Raids in August across Karnataka, Goa, Mumbai and New Delhi led to the seizure of over ₹1.68 crore in cash, 6.75 kg of gold, and the freezing of bank accounts holding ₹14.13 crore. The agency claims Sail colluded with port officials and several companies to bypass a forest department seizure order.
Shivakumar dismissed the case as politically motivated, alleging that central agencies are being misused to intimidate opposition leaders. He maintained that Congress MLAs were being unfairly targeted while demanding transparency and fairness in investigations. The episode has sparked a political row in Karnataka, with Congress leaders rallying behind Sail and accusing the ED of selective action driven by the ruling party at the Centre.