Bengaluru, April 16 (NationPress) Additional Solicitor General (ASG) S.V. Raju, representing the CBI, urged the Special Court for MLAs/MPs in Bengaluru on Thursday to impose the severest penalty on the accused MLA Vinay Kulkarni along with the others implicated in the murder case of BJP leader and Zilla Panchayat member Yogesh Gowda.

The Special Court for MLAs/MPs in Bengaluru found senior Congress MLA and former minister Vinay Kulkarni guilty in the murder case of the BJP leader on Wednesday. Kulkarni, listed as accused number 15, currently holds the position of Chairman of the Karnataka Urban Water Supply and Drainage Board. The court determined his involvement in a criminal conspiracy, and it is currently deliberating on the appropriate sentence.

In his arguments before the court, ASG Raju asserted that the accused should receive the most severe punishment, emphasizing that they orchestrated a premeditated murder. He argued that Yogesh Gowda, a public figure, was murdered due to political rivalry. Initially, other individuals had surrendered to the police regarding the case, but the truth came to light only after the CBI's investigation.

Raju claimed that the accused, who is a legislator expected to uphold the law, instead facilitated the murder. He accused them of misusing police resources and violating constitutional norms.

He recounted that Yogesh Gowda was brutally attacked, with chili powder thrown into his eyes. Additionally, he pointed out that documents were forged and evidence was attempted to be destroyed, highlighting the accused's abuse of their position as an MLA and minister to manipulate the system.

In the meantime, the case's approver witness, Basavaraj Muttagi, visited the Ganesh temple at KCD Circle in Dharwad earlier that day. Arriving under CRPF protection, Muttagi prayed for strength to continue his fight. He expressed to the media that the true struggle was just beginning and admitted to feeling guilt for being part of the conspiracy behind Yogesh Gowda's murder.

A total of 21 individuals were named as defendants in the case by the Central Bureau of Investigation. Out of these, 17 were deemed guilty, while two have become approvers. The court's verdict found 19 defendants guilty.

Accused number one, Basavaraj Muttagi, turned approver and provided his testimony. Accused number 17, Shivanand, despite turning approver, gave a conflicting statement, prompting the CBI to seek to re-accuse him.

The other guilty parties include accused number two Vikram, three Keerthi Kumar, four Sandeep, five Vinayak, six Mahabaleshwar (alias Mudaka), seven Santosh, eight Dinesh, nine Ashwath, ten Sunil, eleven Nazeer Ahmed, twelve Shanawaz, thirteen Nutan, fourteen Harshit, fifteen Vinay Kulkarni, sixteen Chandru Mama, eighteen Vikas Kalaburagi, and nineteen Channakeshava Tingarikar.

Conversely, the court ordered the release of accused numbers 20 and 21, Vasudev Nilekani and Somashekar.

This case dates back to 2016, and the court is also set to determine the fate of the remaining 21 accused linked to the incident. The investigation was transferred to the CBI by the state government. At the time of the allegations, Kulkarni served as a minister and district in-charge minister.

Yogesh Gowda was murdered by a group of attackers at a gym in Dharwad city on June 15, 2016. He had politically challenged Kulkarni, leading to a tragic escalation.

Kulkarni was arrested in 2020 and granted bail in 2021. He faced accusations of attempting to influence witnesses, which led the CBI to request the revocation of his bail due to violations of its terms. The court granted this request and subsequently revoked his bail. Kulkarni later surrendered to authorities and was recently released on bail again.

Kulkarni has been accused of plotting Yogesh Gowda's murder while serving as a Cabinet minister in the Siddaramaiah government. Although his name was mentioned in the allegations, initial action was not taken against him.

The BJP capitalized on the situation, with former Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa pledging at election rallies that Kulkarni would face incarceration if the BJP regained power.

The case was later handed over to the CBI, leading to Kulkarni's arrest. He spent over nine months in jail before being granted bail by the Supreme Court.