CBI files charge sheet against former minister Vinay Kulkarni

The CBI which is probing the Zilla Panchayat (ZP) member Yogeeshgouda Goudar murder case in Dharwad, has filed a supplementary charge sheet in the special CBI court in Dharwad on Tuesday against Congress leader and former minister Vinay Kulkarni and two others.

Yogeeshgouda Goudar, ZP member from BJP representing Hebballi constituency had been murdered by a gang at his gym in Saptapur of Dharwad on the morning of June 15, 2016.
In the supplementary charge sheet, the CBI has named Vinay Kulkarni as the prime accused. Vinay’s close relative Chandrashekhar Indi of Vijaypura is the second accused and Shivanand Biradar has been named as the third.

Vinay Kulkarni was arrested on November 5, 2020, and has been under judicial custody and lodged in Hindalaga Central Prison in Belagavi. His bail applications have been rejected by the lower court and High Court. His judicial custody is to end on February 5 and the CBI was to file the charge sheet within 90 days of arresting Kulkarni. The CBI has to produce him before the court on February 5.

The CBI which took over the investigation into the murder on September 24, 2019, had identified and arrested eight other accused and filed charge sheet on May 20, 2020. Santosh Savadatti of Dharwad, Dinesh M, Sunil K S, Harshith, Aswath S, Nazeer Ahamad, Shanawaz and Nutan S all from Bengaluru and other places had been named as accused in the charge sheet.

Earlier, the Karnataka Police on September 9, 2016, had charge-sheeted six persons, all residents of Dharwad. Basavaraj Mutagi, Vikram Ballari, Keerthi Kumar, Sandeep Savadatti, Vinayak Katagi and Mahabaleshwar Hongal alias Muduka were named as accused in the charge sheet filed by the Karnataka Police.

According to the CBI, the investigation has disclosed the alleged role of Kulkarni and two others in the conspiracy. It was alleged that Kulkarni had personal enmity and political rivalry with Yogeeshgouda who had declined the request to step back from contesting the Zilla Panchayat election in 2016.

“Investigations revealed that the Ex-minister allegedly conspired with his associates and in pursuance thereof, one of his associates agreed to execute the murder. It was further alleged that a land deal was entered by the accused and a purported land dispute was portrayed as a motive for the murder. Further, three-country pistols were also seized by the CBI,” said a CBI official.

“CBI investigation revealed that an associate of the said accused (Ex-Minister) arranged other accused from Bengaluru and they visited Dharwad on two occasions. On the first occasion, they stayed in a Resort at Dandeli allegedly arranged by the said accused. They allegedly committed the murder during their second attempt. These accused fled after commission of crime” the charge sheet said.

The CBI said further investigation into the role of the other accused and larger conspiracy, in this case, is continuing.

The CBI has clarified that the above findings are based on the investigation done by the CBI and evidence collected by it. “Under the Indian Law, the accused are presumed to be innocent till their guilt is finally established after a fair trial,” the CBI said.