SC notice to CBI on ex Minister's plea in murder case of BJP worker

The Supreme Court on Thursday issued notice to the CBI on a plea by former Karnataka Minister and senior Congress leader Vinay Kulkarni, questioning the validity of sanction granted to prosecute him in 2016 murder of a BJP worker in Dharwad.

A bench of Justices U U Lalit, Ajay Rastogi and Aniruddha Bose sought a response from the CBI on a separate petition filed by Chandrashekhar Indi, challenging lodging of the FIR, a second one in the case.

Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for Kulkarni, contended that all key accused in the matter were on bail. Why should the petitioner be put under custody, he asked. The main accused as per the state police, which first investigated the case, and the CBI, which subsequently took over the matter, were released on bail.

The court, however, asked him about the phone calls purportedly linking the main accused with Kulkarni. To this, the counsel said he was a political persons and received hundreds of calls in a day.

The court asked the CBI to file a response and put the matter for consideration on July 26.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the CBI, questioned the maintainability of the petition. The court, however, asked him to place the objections in the affidavit before it.

Senior advocate K T S Tulsi and advocate Rajesh Inamdar appeared for Indi, co-accused in the case.

Yogeshgouda Goudar, 26, a member of district Panchayat, was hacked to death on June 15, 2016 at his gym in Saptapur in Dharwad on being immobilised with chilli powder, thrown on his face.

The victim's family members suspected role of former Minister and Congress leader Kulkarni into the murder.

The B S Yeddyurappa government had on September 6, 2019 ordered the CBI probe, within a couple of months of assuming of the charge.

The top court had earlier on February 21, 2020 stayed the Karnataka High Court's order of November 21, 2019 that suspended the probe by the central agency into matter.