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Court finds Cong MLA Vinay Kulkarni guilty in BJP leader Yogesh Gowda murder case

LAW FINDER NEWS NETWORK | April 15, 2026 at 6:09 PM

Bengaluru, Apr 15 A Special Court for MPs and MLAs on Wednesday found Congress MLA Vinay Kulkarni guilty in the 2016 murder of BJP leader Yogesh Gowda.


Along with him, 16 others were found guilty. Two other accused were acquitted by Judge Santhosh Gajanan Bhat.


The court will pronounce the quantum of punishment on Thursday.


Yogesh Gowda, a BJP member and former Dharwad Zila Panchayat member, was hacked to death at his gymnasium in Dharwad on June 15, 2016.


Kulkarni is accused of conspiracy in the murder. He was a minister at the time of the incident.


Initially handled by local police, the case was transferred to the CBI in 2019 when the BJP came to power.


The central agency has recorded statements of 113 witnesses and arrested Kulkarni in 2020.


The MLA spent over nine months in jail before receiving bail from the Supreme Court.


The court ordered the CBI, which investigated the case, to take custody of the accused. 

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