Jarkiholi family stands with Satish after ED searches, says brother Balachandra

The Jarkiholi family has closed ranks behind Karnataka PWD Minister Satish Jarkiholi following searches by the Enforcement Directorate at his residences and other premises, with his younger brother and BJP MLA Balachandra Jarkiholi asserting that family bonds remain unaffected by political differences.

Speaking to reporters outside the Minister's house in Belagavi on September 10, Balachandra said the family was fully behind Satish. "When it comes to politics, we may be in different parties and act differently. But when it comes to family matters, all five brothers are one," he said. The house is also home to Chikkodi MP Priyanka Jarkiholi, the Minister's daughter.

Balachandra said the Minister's wife and children were distressed by the searches and the ensuing media scrutiny, and that he had advised them not to worry unduly. He described such developments as part of political life and expressed confidence that Satish Jarkiholi possesses the necessary documents and will cooperate with the inquiry. He added that he had visited not as a BJP leader or MLA but to stand with his brother's family.

He also pushed back against claims circulating in sections of the media. Rejecting assertions that the Minister's sister and children had invested hundreds of crores in African business ventures, he said Rahul Jarkiholi had put in ₹50,000 across two companies, while Priyanka and their sister Mahadevi had invested ₹25,000 each, and that the business was yet to begin operations. He also disputed reports that ED officials had removed two large trunks of cash from the Gokak residence, saying one trunk containing ₹1.73 crore was taken while an empty trunk was left behind.

Balachandra further rejected as false a claim made during a television panel discussion that former chief minister Siddaramaiah had complained to the ED against Satish Jarkiholi, noting that the two have been friends for more than three decades and that their relationship has endured past differences. He urged the media not to spread such claims.

On speculation that the searches were politically motivated, Balachandra said he did not believe so. He said the ED appeared to be acting on a complaint and on an earlier search at the premises of their brother-in-law, Y. Manjunath, Joint Commissioner of Excise. According to him, a complaint was filed against Manjunath in May this year, following which ED officials searched his houses and offices in June. Documents recovered in that operation may have pointed to the family's overseas investments, he said, adding that he saw no political angle to the matter.

He also said there was no basis to suggest that the agency was targeting leaders of any particular community, and that Satish Jarkiholi would contest the issue legally with the support of his brothers.