Bengaluru, 31 July (H.S.): The Karnataka High Court on Friday granted bail to former Karnataka minister and Congress leader Vinay Kulkarni in the murder case of BJP leader Yogesh Gowda. The court suspended the life sentence awarded to him and stayed the operation of the conviction recorded by the Special Court for MPs and MLAs.

A Division Bench comprising Justice Mohammad Nawaz and Justice G. Basavaraja passed the order. The High Court also granted bail to the other 10 convicts in the case.

As part of the bail conditions, Vinay Kulkarni has been directed to execute a bond of ₹5 lakh with a surety of the same amount. The court has also restrained him from leaving the country without its prior permission.

Case Background

BJP leader Yogesh Gowda was murdered in Dharwad on June 15, 2016. The investigation was later handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). On April 17, 2026, the Special Court for MPs and MLAs in Bengaluru convicted Vinay Kulkarni of murder and criminal conspiracy and sentenced him to life imprisonment.

The trial court also awarded him seven years' imprisonment for destruction of evidence, imposed a fine of ₹30,000, and directed that ₹16 lakh be paid as compensation to the victim's children and brother.

With the latest order, the Karnataka High Court has suspended the sentence and granted bail to Kulkarni pending further proceedings in the case.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Rakesh Mahadevappa