Karnataka Congress MLA Vinay Kulkarni convicted of murder; sentencing on April 16

Dharwad legislator guilty of killing Dharwad ZP member Yogesh Gowda 10 years ago.

Bengaluru: A Bengaluru court has convicted Congress MLA Vinay Kulkarni in the Yogesh Gowda murder case. 

Judge Santhosh Gajanan Bhat of the Special Court for Cases Involving Elected Representatives convicted Kulkarni for criminal conspiracy and murder. The court is expected to pronounce the quantum of punishment on Thursday. 

The case pertains to the killing of Gowda, a BJP zilla panchayat member, in Dharwad on June 15, 2016. It was eventually transferred to the CBI in 2019. 

The central agency filed a second additional charge sheet, naming Kulkarni accused number 15 for offences under IPC sections 120B, 143, 147, 148, 302 and under section 25 read with sections 3, 5, 8 and 29 of the Arms Act. 

The special court acquitted Kulkarni and another accused, Chandrashekar Indi, for offences under the Arms Act due to a lack of prosecution sanction. 

The court also convicted Vikram Bellary, Kirthi Kumar Basavaraj Kurahatti, Sandeep Saudatti, Vinayaka Katagi, Mahabaleshwar Hongal alias Muduka, Santhosh Saudatti, Dinesh M, Ashwath, Sunil, Nazeer Ahmed, Shahanawaz, Nuthan, Harshith, Indi and Vikas Kalburgi for murder and criminal conspiracy. However, it acquitted Vasudeva Rama Nilekani and Somashekar Basappa Nyamagouda on the benefit of doubt. 

The CBI's case was that Kulkarni was the main conspirator in the murder. Kulkarni, who was the district in-charge minister at the time, did not want Goudar to grow as a leader in Dharwad, his home constituency. He hired killers to eliminate Goudar, the charge sheet stated. 

As per the charge sheet, Kulkarni even contacted Shivanand Shrishaila Biradar, an accused in the case who had turned approver, pressuring him to depose against the prosecution. 

The court granted the prosecution liberty to file necessary applications seeking sanction to prosecute Biradar, who eventually turned hostile during trial. It further directed the Registrar of the City Civil Court to register a perjury case under CrPC section 340 against the witnesses, including police officers, for giving false, misleading statements before the court during the trial. 

The witnesses include Shivananda Chalavadi, Babu Katagi, Shankaragouda Basanagouda Patil — all police officers — and Dr Dattatreya Gudaganti, Anand Irappa Uddannavar, Vinayaka Binjiyavar, Mohan Echarappa Mulmuttal, Vivekananda Dalawai, Natraj Sarj Desai and Vijay Kulkarni, who were independent witnesses. 

Goudar was murdered at his gym in Dharwad by hired assailants on June 15, 2016. His family alleged that he had received death threats before the murder. The local police initially arrested six persons in the case. 

In 2019, the then BJP government transferred the case to the CBI based on a request from Yogish’s family. In 2020, the CBI arrested Kulkarni. 

In August 2021, the Supreme Court granted him bail but later cancelled it on June 6, 2025. 

In January 2026, the High Court of Karnataka rejected his fresh bail petition, observing that it would be against judicial propriety for any other court to reconsider when the Supreme Court itself cancelled the bail due to condition violations without reserving liberty.