Yogeshgouda murder: CBI opposes Vinay Kulkarni's bail plea

The CBI has opposed before the Supreme Court a plea made by former Karnataka minister and Congress leader Vinay Kulkarni for bail in a murder case related to a BJP worker in 2016 in Dharwad.

It claimed that he is an influential person and could intimidate witnesses. He had already forced the victim’s wife to turn hostile, the CBI said.

“There is no ground for the petitioner for release from jail as he would intimidate the witnesses, tamper with the evidence and jeopardise the trial,” the agency said in an affidavit filed in the top court.

It said the High Court rightly rejected bail of Kulkarni and there can’t be any parity of him with the co-accused.

“In fact, wife and brother of the deceased turning hostile is another evidence which corroborates the role and influence of the petitioner. The wife of the deceased was made to turn hostile by paying money in lakhs and assisting her in getting a post or position in local administration of the Congress party,” the CBI alleged.

Further, brother of the deceased was also tried to be influenced by arranging a meeting with close acquaintance of the petitioner, it claimed.

“The petitioner was arraigned as accused because of his active participation in conspiracy which led to the murder of the deceased,” it said.

A bench led by Justice U U Lalit is to take up the matter on Monday.

Yogeshgouda Goudar, 26, a member of district Panchayat, was hacked to death on June 15, 2016 at his gym in Saptapur in Dharwad.

The victim’s family members suspected role of former minister and Congress leader Kulkarni in the murder. The B S Yeddyurappa government, on September 6, 2019, ordered the CBI probe.

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.