In a significant development, the Karnataka High Court has granted medical bail to Congress MLA Satish Sail, currently lodged in jail on money laundering charges. The decision, pronounced on Thursday, allows the Karwar legislator to undergo a critical liver transplant procedure.
The court has imposed stringent conditions to ensure compliance. Sail must submit a report every two weeks detailing the progress of his liver transplantation. Additionally, he is required to file a health progress report in court every eight weeks. The judiciary has explicitly warned against any interference with witnesses or obstruction of the ongoing trial proceedings.
As part of the bail terms, Sail has been directed to furnish a security bond of Rs 5 lakh along with personal surety. This measure underscores the court’s intent to balance medical necessity with judicial oversight.
The backdrop to this case traces back to September 9, 2025, when Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials arrested Sail in Bengaluru during a questioning session at their office. The arrest stemmed from allegations of money laundering linked to illegal iron ore exports.
Prior to the arrest, ED conducted raids on August 13 and 14, 2025, at Sail’s residences in Karwar, Goa, Mumbai, and Delhi. The operations uncovered substantial illicit assets, including cash, gold, and jewelry. Documents and seized items were meticulously packed into two trunks by the investigators.
Sail became the third Congress MLA nabbed by central agencies in recent probes, following Chitradurga’s KC Virendra and Dharwad Rural’s Vinay Kulkarni.
Earlier, on October 26, 2024, a special MP/MLA court sentenced Sail to seven years in prison across six cases related to illegal iron ore exports from Belakeri, imposing a hefty fine of Rs 44 crore. The case originated in 2010, with the CBI filing a charge sheet naming Sail as a co-accused.
However, the Karnataka High Court stayed the sentence on December 21, 2024, directing authorities to withhold by-election announcements in Karwar until his appeal is resolved. The court had barred him from attending assembly sessions, paving the way for the subsequent ED arrest on money laundering charges.
This medical bail offers Sail temporary relief amid intertwined legal battles, highlighting the complex interplay of health emergencies and criminal investigations in high-profile cases.