New Delhi [India], April 17 : In a landmark verdict that has sent shockwaves through Karnataka's political landscape, a special court on Friday sentenced Congress MLA and former minister Vinay Kulkarni to life imprisonment for the 2016 murder of BJP leader Yogesh Gowda.
The Special Court of People's Representatives in Bengaluru has sentenced 16 criminals, including former minister Vinay Kulkarni, to life imprisonment. After a long hearing, special court judge Santosh Gajanan Bhatt heard the final arguments of both parties today. Then he reserved the order on the quantum of punishment for tomorrow. The order has now been announced.
Assistant Solicitor General SV Raju, who argued for the CBI, argued for harsh life imprisonment. In his argument, he said, "This murder is extremely heinous and has directly affected the judicial system."
He further argued, "The accused has tried to destroy evidence by using influence and obstructed the judicial process." "Thus, all the accused should be given a strict life sentence to set an example for society," he appealed to the court.
The lawyers for the accused, who objected to this, sought a reduction in the sentence. They argued that "the accused have a responsibility to the family and should be given a minimum sentence in view of their lives." However, the court did not accept this argument and sentenced them to life imprisonment.
Yogesh Gowda was murdered in his own gym in Dharwad in 2016. There was a huge debate in the political circles after the CBI took over the investigation of this case. However, the court ordered life imprisonment and compensation, including for former minister and MLA Vinay Kulkarni.
Gowda, 26, a BJP zila panchayat member from Hebballi constituency, was murdered on June 15, 2016, at Dharwad.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) took over the investigation on September 24, 2019, and arrested Kulkarni on November 5, 2020. Kulkarni has denied the allegations levelled against him.
The CBI has alleged that Kulkarni had personal enmity and political rivalry with Gowda, who rejected their offer to withdraw from the Zila panchayat elections in 2016.
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