Deceased Yogesh Gowda (left) and accused Vinay Kulkarni
Vinay Kulkarni is accused of involvement in 2016 killing of Yogesh Gowda
BENGALURU/HUBBALI:
The CBI arrested former Congress minister Vinay Kulkarni on Thursday morning in connection with the 2016 murder of Yogesh Gowda, a BJP member of the Dharwad Zilla Panchayat.
As per sources, CBI officials took Kulkarni into custody from his residence at Barakotri in Dharwad. The CBI officials produced the Congress leader Kulkarni, before the Magistrate, he was sent for a one-day Judicial custody. Currently he is in Belagavi Jail, the sources said.
Gowda was murdered on June 15, 2016. The case was later transferred from the police to the central investigative agency.
The family of Yogesh Gowda has accused Kulkarni of being involved in the murder. The CBI had earlier detained and interrogated four accused, Vinayaka Katagi, Mudukappa, Keerthi and Sandeepa aka Sandy.
Parents saw foulplay
Kulkarni, who was a minister in the Siddaramaiah cabinet, is alleged to have got Yogesh Gowda murdered for political reasons. Under Siddaramaiah, the police had concluded that the murder was due to personal rivalry motivated by a land dispute. However, the BJP and the parents of Gowda had cried foul and protests were organized.
When the BJP came to power in Karnataka, a party delegation met Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa and demanded a CBI inquiry into the case. Yediyurappa obliged and handed over the case to the central agency.
SC nod to CBI
Before the CBI could take up the case, Vinay Kulkarni got a stay from the Dharwad bench of the High Court. The CBI then appealed against the order in the Supreme Court. The apex court lifted the stay, paving the way for the central agency to resume investigations into Yogesh Gowda’s murder.
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