A special court in Bengaluru on Thursday, April 7 sentenced Congress MLA Vinay Kulkarni to life imprisonment for his role in the 2016 murder of BJP leader Yogesh Gowda in Dharwad. The verdict came two days after the court convicted Kulkarni and 15 others in the case.
Special court judge Santosh Gajanan Bhat pronounced the sentence on Thursday evening.
Yogesh Gowda, a BJP leader and former Dharwad Zila Panchayat member, was killed at his gym on June 15, 2016. A case was registered at the Dharwad Suburban Police Station, and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) later took over the probe. The agency filed a chargesheet for offences including criminal conspiracy, murder, destruction of evidence, unlawful assembly, rioting with deadly weapons, illegal arms trafficking and misconduct by public servants.
Vinay Kulkarni was arrested by the CBI on November 5, 2020. The Supreme Court granted him conditional bail on August 11, 2021, but cancelled it on June 7, 2025, after observing that he had attempted to contact witnesses during the trial. Charges were framed on May 26, 2023.
Conviction for murder under Section 302, which carries life imprisonment or the death penalty, means that Vinay Kulkarni will face automatic disqualification as MLA. Under the Representation of the People Act, 1951, a legislator is disqualified if convicted and sentenced to imprisonment of two years or more. Section 8(4), which earlier offered protection to sitting lawmakers, was struck down by the Supreme Court in the Lily Thomas vs Union of India case, which held it to be ultra vires the Constitution.
On April 15, the court held that Vinay Kulkarni, listed as Accused No 15 (A15), and other accused, including Vikram Bellary (A2), Keerthi Kumar (A3), Sandeep Savadatti (A4), Vinayak Katagi (A5), Mahabaleshwar Hongal alias Mudaka (A6), Santosh Savadatti (A7), Dinesh M (A8), S Ashwath (A9), KS Sunil (A10), Nazir Ahmed (A11), Shanwaz (A12), K Nutan (A13), C Harshit (A14), Chandrasekhar Indi alias Chandru Mama (A16), Vikas Kalaburgi (A18) and Channakesava Tingarikar (A19), conspired to murder Gowda. They were convicted under IPC Sections 302 (murder) and 120B (criminal conspiracy).
Fifteen accused persons (A2 to A16 and A18) were sentenced to life imprisonment by the court and imposed a fine of Rs 30,000 each.
Additional sentences were imposed as follows: For the offence under Section 143 (unlawful assembly), 13 accused persons (A2 to A14 and A18) were sentenced to six months’ simple imprisonment and fined Rs 2,000 each. Under Section 147 (rioting), they were also awarded one year of rigorous imprisonment along with a fine of Rs 2,000 each. Under Section 148 (rioting with deadly weapons), they were again sentenced to one year of rigorous imprisonment and fined Rs 2,000 each. For the offence under Section 201 (destruction of evidence), 16 accused persons (A2 to A16, A18 and A19) were sentenced to seven years’ rigorous imprisonment and fined Rs 30,000 each. Under Section 218 (public servant falsifying records), A19 was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment and fined Rs 20,000.
All sentences will run concurrently, the court clarified.
Of the total fines, Rs 16 lakh is to be paid as compensation to Gowda’s children, while the remaining amount will go to the State.
Vinay Kulkarni and Chandrasekhar Indi were acquitted of charges under the Arms Act. Two other accused, Vasudev Rama Nilekani (A20) and Somashekhar Nyamagowda (A21), were acquitted on benefit of doubt.
The court also allowed the prosecution to seek sanction to prosecute approver-turned-hostile witness Shivanand Srishaila Biradar. It further directed the registry to initiate proceedings under Section 340 of the CrPC against certain police personnel and independent witnesses for alleged perjury or forgery during the trial.