Supreme Court cancels bail of Congress MLA Vinay Kulkarni in BJP worker murder case

The Supreme Court on June 5 cancelled the bail granted to Karnataka Congress MLA Vinay Kulkarni in the 2016 murder of BJP worker Yogesh Gowda, holding that there was credible material suggesting that the accused made attempts to contact or influence witnesses during the course of the ongoing trial..A Bench comprising Justice Sanjay Karol and Justice Satish Chandra Sharma said that there was credible material suggesting that the accused made attempts to contact or influence witnesses during the course of the ongoing trial..“There is sufficient material on record to suggest that the attempt(s) have been made by the respondent to either contact witnesses or alternatively, influence such witnesses,” the Court stated in its order.Therefore, it allowed the plea filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) seeking cancellation of Kulkarni’s bail..While refraining from making detailed observations on the evidence presented by the CBI, the bench said that the liberty granted earlier was no longer justified and directed that Kulkarni surrender within a week..It further directed the trial court to expedite the proceedings and ensure the trial is conducted fairly and without being influenced by any observations in the Supreme Court’s order..“This Court is of the considered opinion that the bail granted to the respondent ought to be cancelled,” the bench held..Additional Solicitor General SV Raju, appearing for the State and the CBI, submitted that Kulkarni had contacted prosecution witnesses using mobile phones belonging to his wife, driver and gunman. He also cited a photograph showing proximity between the accused and key individuals in the case..“He has spoken to the witnesses using his wife's phone, his driver’s phone and his gunman’s phone. The photo also shows that they are close to the accused,” Raju submitted..Raju also clarified that the wife of the deceased was not a material witness and had been dropped from the prosecution’s list..On behalf of Kulkarni, Senior Advocate Maninder Singh sought time until Monday to file a response. He contended that there was no direct evidence of any attempt to influence witnesses, and said his client had cooperated fully with the prosecution..“My political career is gone... If I have done something, the law will take care of it,” Singh said, maintaining that the bail conditions had not been violated..Yogesh Gowda, a BJP zilla panchayat member, was murdered in June 2016 in his gym in Dharwad. While the initial investigation was handled by local authorities, the probe was later transferred to the CBI, which arrested Vinay Kulkarni in 2020 alleging political rivalry as the motive. In August 2021, the Supreme Court granted him bail with strict conditions, including bar on entry into Dharwad district and restrictions on contacting witnesses. The trial court framed charges against him in December 2023.The Karnataka High Court on April 8, 2024 dismissed the petition moved by Kulkarni challenging the order framing charges against him.The High Court said that Kulkarni, who was then a Minister, had conspired with his close associates and other accused for Goudar’s murder following an altercation during a Panchayat meeting held in April 2016.In June 2024, the Supreme Court also upheld the framing of charges against Kulkarni..[Read Order]