Congress MLA Vinay Kulkarni Convicted In 2016 Murder Case, Faces Disqualification And Prison

Bengaluru, April 15: The Karnataka Congress, which is facing huge internal bickering, has received one more setback on Wednesday, with The Special Court for People's Representatives in Bengaluru convicting Congress MLA and former Minister Vinay Kulakrni in connection with a 10-year-old murder case.

CBI chargesheet details

Based on the charge sheet filed by the CBI with respect to murder of former BJP Zilla Panchayat member Yogesh Gowda, Vinay Kulakarni and 18 others have been found guilty of murder and conspiracy, while two others have been exonerated of the charges.

The Special Court Judge Gajanana Bhat directed the CBI to take all the 19 persons to custody, while reserving the announcement of quantum of punishment to Thursday.

Approve and police conviction

While one of the accused Bsavaraj Mutthagi turned CBI approver and escaped from the punishment, four police personnel, including the then Dharwad South DySP Chennakeshava Tingrikar have been convicted. If Vinay Kulakarni is convicted for more than two years, he will be losing his membership of the Legislative Assembly.

The murder had taken place on June 15, 2016, when Yogesh Gowda had gone to gym early in the morning. After the murder, the Dharwad police had implicated a few people and charged that the murder was in connection with some real estate dispute between some rowdies and Yogesh Gowda.

Murder background)

However, Yogesh Gowda's family members approached the court, alleging that the then Congress MLA Vinay Kulakarni was behind the murder and the police were shielding them. The case was handed over to the CBI.

During the investigation, the CBI established that Vinay Kulakarni had paid ₹ 20 lakh supari for Yogesh Gowda's murder. The CBI also charged that the police officials were part of the conspiracy before the murder took place.

CBI probe findings

Meanwhile, Vinay Kulakarni, who was on bail won Dharwad South Assembly constituency again in 2023 and became a Minister. However, after the CBI filed the charge sheet, he was arrested again, forcing him to resign from the ministry. He obtained bail only two months ago from the Supreme Court. But, the court convicted him for both murder and conspiracy, leading to his arrest again.

Soon after the verdict was delivered, the CBI sleuths took all the 19 convicted, who were present in the court to their custody and was shifted to Parappana Agrahara prisons in Bengaluru.