Bengaluru, April 15 (NationPress) In a significant turn of events, the Special Court for MLAs/MPs in Bengaluru rendered a verdict on Wednesday, declaring senior Congress MLA and former minister Vinay Kulkarni guilty in the murder case concerning BJP leader and Zilla Panchayat member Yogesh Gowda.

The court issued its conclusive ruling after an extensive trial and instructed the Central Bureau of Investigation to detain Vinay Kulkarni along with other implicated individuals.

Identified as accused number 15 in the case, Kulkarni currently holds the position of Chairman of the Karnataka Urban Water Supply and Drainage Board. The court found him guilty of criminal conspiracy, and the sentencing will be revealed on Thursday, April 16.

In a related update, the court permitted the release of accused numbers 20 and 21, Vasudev Nilekani and Somashekar.

A total of 21 individuals were listed as accused by the Central Bureau of Investigation. Of the 21, 17 were deemed guilty, while two have become approvers. As a result, the court’s verdict holds 19 individuals culpable.

Accused number one, Basavaraj Muttagi, became an approver and provided a statement, whereas accused number 17, Shivanand, despite being an approver, offered a hostile testimony. Consequently, the Central Bureau of Investigation has requested to re-accuse accused number 17.

The other guilty parties include accused numbers two through 19, comprising Vikram, Keerthi Kumar, Sandeep, Vinayak, Mahabaleshwar (alias Mudaka), Santosh, Dinesh, Ashwath, Sunil, Nazeer Ahmed, Shanawaz, Nutan, Harshit, Vinay Kulkarni, Chandru Mama, Vikas Kalaburagi, and Channakeshava Tingarikar.

It is noteworthy that the Special Court had postponed the announcement of its judgment until April 15 in this case.

The incident dates back to 2016, and the court will also evaluate the status of the other 21 accused linked to this case.

This case was transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation by the state government. At the time the allegations came to light, Kulkarni was serving as a minister and district in-charge minister.

Yogesh Gowda was brutally murdered by a group of attackers at a gym in Dharwad city on June 15, 2016. He had posed a political challenge to Kulkarni, escalating the situation.

Kulkarni's arrest occurred in 2020, followed by his release on bail in 2021. He faced accusations of tampering with witnesses, prompting the Central Bureau of Investigation to seek the cancellation of his bail, which the court granted.

Afterward, Kulkarni surrendered to the authorities and was recently released on bail once more.

Kulkarni was implicated in the conspiracy surrounding Yogesh Gowda's murder. At that time, he was part of the Cabinet under the Siddaramaiah-led administration. Initially, despite the allegations, no actions were taken against him.

The BJP capitalized on the situation, with former Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa pledging at election rallies to ensure Kulkarni's imprisonment if the BJP regained power.

The investigation was subsequently handed to the Central Bureau of Investigation, leading to Kulkarni's arrest after he spent over nine months in custody before obtaining bail from the Supreme Court.