Karnataka High Court Suspends Life Sentence of Vinay Kulkarni
In a significant legal development, the Karnataka High Court has suspended the life sentences of former Congress MLA Vinay Kulkarni and eight others involved in the 2016 murder case of BJP leader Yogesh Gowda. The court’s decision grants these individuals bail while their criminal appeals are under review.
Bench Observations and Legal Proceedings
The ruling was delivered by a bench comprising Justices Mohammad Nawaz and G Basavaraja. They also suspended the seven-year sentence of suspended police officer Channakeshava B Tingarikar (Accused No. 19), facilitating his release on bail as well.
During the court proceedings, CBI counsel Rahul Reddy highlighted that a prior bail condition for Kulkarni restricted him from entering Dharwad district. However, the bench noted that this restriction was in place during the trial phase, and all relevant witnesses had since been examined.
Background of the Case
On April 17, 2026, a Special CBI Court in Bengaluru sentenced Kulkarni and 15 others to life imprisonment for conspiring in the murder of Yogesh Gowda, who was tragically killed in Dharwad on June 15, 2016. The convicts were prosecuted under Sections 302 (murder) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code, with additional sentences for evidence destruction, unlawful assembly, and rioting.
Suspended police officer Tingarikar received a seven-year sentence under Section 201 IPC related to evidence destruction. The trial court mandated concurrent sentences and directed the payment of ₹16 lakh from fines as compensation to Gowda’s children. Notably, Kulkarni and co-accused Chandrasekhar Indi were acquitted of Arms Act charges.
More Read
Legal Representation and Bail History
Kulkarni was initially apprehended by the CBI on November 5, 2020, and was granted conditional bail by the Supreme Court in August 2021. However, the Supreme Court annulled this bail in June 2025, citing preliminary evidence of witness tampering during trial proceedings.
Appearing for the appellants were Senior Advocates CV Nagesh, S Nagamuthu, MS Shyam Sundar, PP Hegde, and Hasmath Pasha, along with Advocates S Sunil Kumar, Vandana P L, N A Kariappa, and Sudhanva D S. Representing the CBI were Additional Solicitor General SV Raju and P Prasanna Kumar.
