Relief For Ex-Congress MLA Vinay Kulkarni: Karnataka High Court Stays Conviction In 2016 Yogesh Goudar Murder Case, Grants Bail

The Karnataka High Court on Friday (July 31) stayed the conviction of former Congress MLA Vinay Kulkarni for the murder of BJP Zilla Panchayat member Yogesh Goudar in 2016, until his appeal challenging the conviction is disposed of.

The court also suspended his life sentence and directed he be released subject to certain conditions. Kulkarni had challenged the conviction in an appeal; he had also moved an application seeking stay on conviction order of the Special Court as well as an application seeking suspension of sentence. 

A division bench led by Justice Mohammad Nawaz pronounced the order and said:

"IA 1/2026 (suspension of sentence filed in Crl A 764/2026 (by Kulkarni) are allowed. Sentence imposed on accused no. 15 (Kulkarni) by court of Sessions Judge Bangalore shall stand suspended and they are ordered to be released on bail pending disposal of appeal subject to following conditions-

- furnish bond of Rs. 5 lakhs with 2 sureities of like amount

- they shall not leave India without prior permission of the court

- they shall appear before high court and trial court as and when instructed

The judgment of conviction passed by sessions judge as against appellant accused no. 15 shall be stayed pending disposal of criminal appeal. IA 2/2026 seeking stay is allowed".

A detailed copy of the order is awaited. The court also suspended sentence of the other accused–Chandrashekhar Indi @ Chandu Mama  in CRL.A 748/2026, Dinesh M and others in CRL.A 805/2026 and Channakeshava B Tingarikar in CRL.A 775/2026. 

The Special Court had convicted Kulkarni and others in April this year. 

Kulkarni had earlier argued that 62 witnesses were examined, but not a single witness supported the prosecution. The case was subsequently transferred to the special court for cases against MPs/MLAs.

Kulkarni had claimed that 61 witnesses were recalled and examined afresh by the CBI after the case was transferred to it in 2019. Out of the seven eye witnesses, six have turned hostile after the case was transferred to the Special Court for MP/MLA cases Bengaluru from Sessions Court Dharwad. Kulkarni has claimed the prosecution's eye witness in the case had deposed earlier before the Dharwad Court that she was not present at the place of incident.

Meanwhile the CBI argued that  Kulkarni cannot rely on evidence placed before the Dharwad trial court as that trial was 'hogwash' in which witnesses were tutored by Kulkarni.

As per reports, accused number 1- Basavaraj Muttagi and accused No. 17-Shivanada Shrishaila Biradar had turned approvers. Additionally, the court acquitted accused No. 20 Vasudev and accused No. 21 Somashekhar Nyamagoud, giving them the benefit of doubt.

Yogesh Goudar, a zilla panchayat member of the BJP from Hebballi constituency, was murdered by an armed gang at his gym in Saptapur in Dharwad in 2016. An FIR was registered with the Dharwad Sub-Urban Police Station at the instance of the deceased's wife. The Dharwad Police subsequent to his murder arrested six persons and charge sheeted them for murder. The probe was later transferred to CBI.

On December 6, 2023 the Special Court framed charges against all the accused including the petitioner for offences punishable under sections 143, 147, 148, 120-B, 302, 201 read with Section 149 of IPC and also for the offences punishable under Section 25 read with Sections 3, 5, 8 and 29 of the Arms Act, 1959.

On April 8, 2024, the High Court upheld the charge framed by the Special Court against Kulkarni and 20 others. In June, 2024 the Supreme Court dismissed the SLP filed against the High Court order.

Case title: SRI VINAY RAJASHEKHARAPPA KULKARNI v/s STATE OF KARNATAKA BY and three connected appeals

CRL.A 764/2026