The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday, September 9, launched a major search operation at properties linked to Karnataka Public Works Department Minister and senior Congress leader Satish Jarkiholi as part of a money laundering investigation, officials said.
The searches are being carried out across multiple locations in Karnataka and Maharashtra and also cover properties associated with Jarkiholi’s daughter, Congress MP Priyanka Jarkiholi, and his brother-in-law Y Manjunath.
According to officials, ED teams are conducting searches at around 18 locations in Bengaluru and Belagavi, besides locations in Maharashtra.
Satish Jarkiholi’s Bengaluru Residence Searched
One of the locations under scrutiny is Jarkiholi’s residence in Dollars Colony, Bengaluru.
An ED team accompanied by Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel arrived at the minister’s official residence in the morning in two vehicles. Security was subsequently tightened around the property as officials began their search.
The agency has not yet publicly disclosed what documents, electronic devices, financial records or other material, if any, have been recovered during the operation.
The searches are part of an ongoing investigation and do not, by themselves, establish wrongdoing by the individuals whose premises are being searched.
Daughter Priyanka Jarkiholi Also Under ED Scanner
The investigation has reportedly widened beyond Satish Jarkiholi.
ED teams are also searching premises connected to Priyanka Jarkiholi, who represents the Chikkodi Lok Sabha constituency, according to officials familiar with the operation.
Properties linked to Y Manjunath, Jarkiholi’s brother-in-law, are also being examined.
Officials have stressed that the money laundering investigation involving Satish Jarkiholi is separate from the excise-related case previously associated with Manjunath.
Who Is Y Manjunath?
Y Manjunath is an Additional Commissioner of Excise and the son of former Ballari MP Devendrappa. He is married to the sister of Satish Jarkiholi as well as BJP leaders Ramesh Jarkiholi and Balachandra Jarkiholi.
The ED had previously searched Manjunath’s residence and properties connected to people close to him.
In June, agency officials carried out searches at his Bengaluru residence as well as premises linked to associates in Mysuru and Arsikere.
Those searches were reportedly connected to allegations involving the transfer of money to foreign countries.
Political Significance of ED Action
The searches have political significance as Satish Jarkiholi is a senior Congress leader and serves as Karnataka’s PWD Minister.
He is also considered to be close to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge. The inclusion of properties linked to members of his family has therefore added further political attention to the investigation.
The latest ED operation comes as federal agencies continue to investigate suspected money laundering and alleged financial irregularities involving individuals and entities across several states.
For now, the agency has not announced the outcome of Wednesday’s searches or confirmed whether any arrests have been made in connection with the case.
