Karnataka Congress MLA gets life term in murder case, faces disqualification

A People's Representatives Special Court in Bengaluru on Friday sentenced 16 individuals, including Congress MLA and former minister Vinay Kulkarni, to life imprisonment for the murder of BJP leader Yogesh Gowda.

In addition to the life sentences, the court imposed a fine of Rs 30,000 on each of the 16 convicts. Another accused in the case received a seven-year prison sentence. Kulkarni, who represents Dharwad Assembly constituency, is likely to face disqualification as an MLA.

Judge Santhosh Gajanan Bhat on Wednesday convicted Kulkarni and others of criminal conspiracy and murder.

While the CBI had sought a life sentence without remission for Kulkarni, the MLA's advocate appealed for a minimum sentence, citing his social services, political background and responsibilities towards his children and other family members.

REVISITING THE CASE

The case dates to June 15, 2016, when Gowda, a BJP zilla panchayat member, was hacked to death by hired assailants at his gym in Dharwad. Kulkarni, who was a minister at the time, was later named the principal conspirator. The CBI alleged that he had ordered the killing to eliminate Gowda, whom he perceived as a growing political rival in the district.

Following demands from Gowda's family, the then BJP government transferred the case to the CBI in 2019. The agency filed a supplementary chargesheet in 2020, naming Kulkarni as the mastermind behind the murder.

Kulkarni was arrested by the CBI the same year. He was granted bail by the Supreme Court in August 2021, subject to conditions that included a ban on entering Dharwad district. However, the apex court cancelled his bail in June 2025 following allegations of attempting to tamper with witnesses and influence the prosecution.

He sought bail again in January 2026, but the High Court rejected the plea on grounds of judicial propriety. The Supreme Court, however, granted him bail on February 27, noting that all witnesses in the case had been examined.

The conviction adds to a growing list of sitting and former legislators across India facing criminal proceedings. For the Congress party in Karnataka, the verdict presents an immediate political complication in Dharwad, a constituency it will need to contest if Kulkarni is disqualified.

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