India
Enforcement Directorate Searches Properties Tied to Karnataka Minister Satish Jarkiholi and Daughter
The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) launched search operations on Wednesday, September 9, 2026, targeting residences and other properties connected to Karnataka Public Works Department Minister Satish Jarkiholi and his daughter Priyanka Jarkiholi, a Congress Member of Parliament representing the Chikkodi Lok Sabha constituency. The agency confirmed it has filed a case against Satish Jarkiholi.
Searches are taking place at properties owned by the Jarkiholi family in Bengaluru, Belagavi, and Gokak, among other locations. In total, 18 sites are being examined, including homes belonging to family members, close associates, and businesses tied to the Jarkiholi family.
Additionally, properties linked to Y. Manjunath, a senior Excise Department official and Satish Jarkiholi's brother-in-law, are also under scrutiny. Manjunath had previously been raided by the ED in June this year in connection with a money laundering investigation into alleged corruption within the Excise Department. It remains unclear whether Minister Jarkiholi is present at any of the locations currently being searched.
The ED stated that this latest action against the Jarkiholi family is unrelated to the earlier excise case and constitutes a separate, new investigation targeting the PWD Minister. During the June raids, the agency had alleged the existence of an "organised syndicate involving public officials, intermediaries and private individuals engaged in systematic collection and distribution of bribes." According to the ED, several officials allegedly secured liquor licences under the names of family members or entities they controlled, using these to indirectly run businesses.
Notably, Satish Jarkiholi previously served as Karnataka's Excise Minister from 2013 to 2016. The Jarkiholi family holds substantial business interests in the sugar and liquor sectors. Although the ED has now registered a fresh Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) against Jarkiholi, it remains unclear whether this new case stemmed from evidence gathered during the June raids on Manjunath's properties.
The searches encompass residences, offices, and commercial establishments belonging to several individuals: Priyanka Jarkiholi, the Minister's daughter and sitting MP; Rahul Jarkiholi, the Minister's son and a director at the Belagavi District Central Cooperative Bank; Y. Manjunath, Joint Commissioner of Excise and the Minister's brother-in-law; and three close associates of the Minister—Girish Sonwalkar, Raju Daragasheety, and Vithal Parasannavar. Dr. Sonwalkar, originally from Mudalagi near Gokak, works as a professor at the Belagavi Institute of Medical Sciences, while Daragasheety and Parasannavar are businessmen based in Gokak.
Investigators are reportedly reviewing documents and electronic devices belonging to the Minister, his staff, and associates, searching for evidence related to foreign travel and financial transfers between Indian and international entities. According to an official, authorities are also examining the Minister's alleged overseas investment in a school located in an African country, along with his business interests spanning mining, sugar production, and real estate.
All residences belonging to the Minister and Manjunath have been secured from the outside while officers conduct their investigation inside. Two teams comprising ED personnel, local police, and Central Reserve Police Force members are stationed outside these properties to maintain security during the operation.