A Bengaluru court on Friday sentenced Congress MLA Vinay Kulkarni to life imprisonment in the 2016 murder case of BJP leader and zilla panchayat member Yogeshgouda Goudar, in a major verdict that also saw 16 other convicts awarded life terms.
The judgement was pronounced by the Special Court for cases involving elected representatives, two days after it convicted Kulkarni and others under multiple provisions of the Indian Penal Code, including criminal conspiracy and murder.
The case relates to the killing of Yogeshgouda Goudar, a BJP leader from Dharwad district, who was hacked to death by hired assailants at a gym in Saptapur on June 15, 2016. The brutal murder had triggered widespread political controversy in Karnataka and remained under intense scrutiny for years before being handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in 2019.
According to the CBI, Kulkarni, who was a minister in the Karnataka government at the time of the incident, was the “main conspirator” behind the killing. The agency alleged that Goudar was perceived as a rising political rival in Dharwad and that a contract killing was arranged to eliminate him.
Following sustained demands from the victim’s family and political pressure, the investigation was transferred to the CBI, which later filed a supplementary chargesheet in 2020 naming Kulkarni and others in the conspiracy. The agency detailed how the killing was executed by hired assailants and linked the planning to political rivalry in the region.
Kulkarni was arrested by the CBI in 2020. He was granted bail by the Supreme Court in August 2021, subject to conditions including a ban on entering Dharwad district. However, his legal troubles continued as the apex court cancelled his bail in June 2025 after allegations surfaced of witness tampering and attempts to influence prosecution witnesses.
Also read: Cong MLA,15 others convicted for BJP leader Gowda's murder
The former minister again approached the courts for bail in 2026. While the Karnataka High Court rejected his plea citing judicial propriety, the Supreme Court later granted him bail on February 27 after noting that all prosecution witnesses had been examined, allowing him to remain out of custody during the final stages of proceedings.
On Wednesday, the special court delivered its conviction order against Kulkarni and 16 others, holding them guilty of conspiracy and murder. On Friday, it pronounced the sentence, awarding life imprisonment to all convicted persons.
The verdict marks a significant development in one of Karnataka’s most closely watched political murder cases and is expected to have immediate political repercussions. Kulkarni is likely to face disqualification as a Member of the Legislative Assembly following his conviction, in line with legal provisions governing elected representatives.
The judgement also brings renewed attention to the long-pending case, which has seen multiple twists over nearly a decade, including changes in investigation, arrests, bail battles, and allegations of witness intimidation. The court’s decision is being seen as a decisive closure to a case that had remained politically sensitive in Karnataka’s northern region.
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