Bengaluru, April 9 (NationPress) A Special Court designated for MLAs and MPs in Bengaluru is set to announce its ruling on Thursday regarding the murder of BJP leader and Zilla Panchayat member Yogesh Gowda. In this case, Dharwad Rural Congress MLA Vinay Kulkarni stands accused. The origins of this case trace back to 2016. The court will also make decisions concerning the fate of 21 other individuals connected to the case.

Vinay Kulkarni is identified as the 15th accused. The state government transferred this case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). At the time the allegations emerged, Kulkarni was acting as a minister and the district in-charge minister.

The murder of Yogesh Gowda occurred on June 15, 2016, when he was attacked by a group of assailants at a gym in Dharwad city. He had posed a political challenge to Kulkarni, leading to a significant political fallout following the incident.

Kulkarni was taken into custody in 2020 and granted bail in 2021. He faced accusations of tampering with witnesses, prompting the CBI to request the cancellation of his bail, citing breaches of bail conditions. The court agreed and revoked his bail. Following this, Kulkarni, who currently chairs the Karnataka Urban Water Supply and Drainage Board, surrendered to authorities and was recently granted bail once again.

It is important to remember that Kulkarni was accused of orchestrating the murder of BJP Zilla Panchayat member Yogesh Gowda. During that time, he was a Cabinet minister in the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government. Although his involvement was suggested, no immediate actions were taken against him.

The BJP later leveraged this incident, with former Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa asserting at election rallies that Kulkarni would be imprisoned if the BJP regained power.

The case subsequently transitioned to the CBI, resulting in Kulkarni's arrest. He remained incarcerated for over nine months before securing bail from the Supreme Court.

Last year, the Karnataka High Court instructed the CBI to hasten the investigation and witness examinations concerning the case. Despite a court order prohibiting his entry into the constituency, Kulkarni was re-elected from the Dharwad Assembly in the 2023 state elections, with his wife and daughter campaigning on his behalf.

Additionally, it is noteworthy that the family of the deceased, Yogesh Gowda, had received a threatening anonymous letter shortly before the murder, warning the BJP leader of a possible death.

Initially, local law enforcement apprehended six individuals in connection with the case. However, the matter was later transferred to the CBI by the then-BJP government, which identified 15 more individuals, including Vinay Kulkarni, as allegedly involved.

The CBI's supplementary chargesheet claims that Vinay Kulkarni was the “main conspirator” behind the murder of Yogesh Gowda, viewing him as a political rival. His relative, Chandu Mama, is alleged to have provided logistical support for the execution of the murder.