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Karnataka Congress MLA Vinay Kulkarni convicted for BJP leader’s murder in 2016
Vinay Kulkarni was a key accused in the murder of Yogesh Gowda, who was killed on June 15, 2016 at a gym in Dharwad.
A special court for MPs and MLAs on Wednesday convicted Congress MLA Vinay Kulkarni and 18 others for the 2016 murder of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Yogesh Gowda in Karnataka Dharwad city.
Special Judge Santhosh Gajanan Bhat delivered the judgment in the presence of Kulkarni and the other accused. While 19 individuals were found guilty, the court acquitted two others.
The court is scheduled to pronounce the quantum of punishment on Thursday.
According to the prosecution, Gowda was attacked by a group of assailants in a planned act. Kulkarni, who was serving as a minister in the state government and was the district in-charge minister at the time, was accused of being part of the conspiracy. He has been listed as accused number 15 in the case.
The investigation into the murder was initially carried out by local police. In 2019, the state government transferred the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) after the BJP came to power.
CBI examined statements from 113 witnesses and arrested Kulkarni in 2020. He remained in judicial custody for more than nine months before being granted bail by the Supreme Court in 2021.
CBI later approached the courts to seek cancellation of his bail, accusing the former minister of witness tampering. In June 2025, the Supreme Court finally accepted the request, ruling that trial courts could also cancel bail granted by constitutional courts if the bail conditions were violated.
Kulkarni subsequently surrendered. He was again granted bail in February 2026 by the top court which noted that the prosecution witnesses had already been examined during the trial.
Kulkarni currently serves as the MLA representing the Dharwad Assembly constituency. He is also the chairman of the Karnataka urban water supply and drainage board.
Despite restrictions imposed by a court on his entry in the constituency during the campaign period, he contested the 2023 Assembly election from Dharwad as his wife and daughter canvassed on his behalf and won the seat.
