Court convicts Congress MLA in 2016 murder case in Karnataka

E-PaperSubscribeSubscribeEnjoy unlimited accessSubscribe Now! Get features like A special court for MPs and MLAs convicted Congress MLA Vinay Kulkarni and 18 others on Wednesday in the 2016 murder of BJP leader Yogesh Gowda, ending a nearly decade-long investigation and trial that gripped Dharwad politics. Vinay KulkarniJudge Santhosh Gajanan Bhat delivered the verdict in the presence of Kulkarni and the other accused. The court also acquitted two people in the case. It is scheduled to pronounce its sentence on Thursday. The case relates to the killing of Yogesh Gowda, who was attacked by a group of assailants at a gym in Dhadwad on June 15, 2016. He died at the scene. Investigators later treated the killing as a conspiracy. At the time of the incident, Kulkarni was serving as a minister in the state government and also held the position of district in-charge minister. Local police initially probed the murder. In 2019, after the BJP came to power, the state government transferred the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation. The agency collected evidence and examined statements from 113 witnesses. The CBI arrested Kulkarni in 2020. He remained in judicial custody for more than nine months before being granted bail by the Supreme Court in 2021. The CBI later approached the court, seeking cancellation of his bail on grounds of allegedly trying to influence witnesses. The court accepted the plea to cancel his bail, leading to its revocation. Following this, Kulkarni surrendered before the authorities. He was later granted bail again and continued to remain out on bail as the trial proceeded. Throughout the investigation and trial, Kulkarni denied the allegations. The case also became a subject of political focus over the years, and a massive election plank for the BJP. Former chief minister BS Yediyurappa had stated at public rallies that Kulkarni would be sent to jail if the party came to power in the state. Kulkarni currently serves as the MLA representing Dhadwad assembly constituency. He is also the Chairman of the Karnataka Urban Water Supply and Drainage Board. Despite the ongoing case and restrictions imposed by a court on his entry into the constituency during the campaign period, he contested the 2023 Assembly elections from Dharwad and won the seat. During the campaign, his wife and daughter canvassed on his behalf in his absence. Arun Dev is an Assistant Editor with the Karnataka bureau of Hindustan Times. A journalist for over 10 years, he has written extensively on crime and politics.