The Karnataka High Court on Thursday heard a petition filed by Congress MLA Vinay Kulkarni challenging the denial of bail by the Special Court for People’s Representatives in connection with the 2016 murder of a BJP worker.
A single-judge bench of Justice S. Sunil Dutt Yadav took up the matter, during which senior advocate C. V. Nagesh, appearing for Kulkarni, pressed for urgent consideration of the bail plea. He submitted that most of the prosecution’s eyewitnesses had turned hostile and argued that there was no justification for keeping the petitioner in custody during the pendency of the trial.
“There is no need to keep the petitioner in custody during the trial. Hence, the petition should be heard urgently and bail should be granted,” Nagesh submitted before the court.
Opposing the plea at this stage, counsel representing the Central Bureau of Investigation sought time to file objections to the bail petition. Accepting the request, the High Court adjourned the hearing to December 18.
The case relates to the murder of Yogesh Gowda, a BJP zila panchayat member, who was killed on June 15, 2016, in Dharwad. In September 2019, the Karnataka government transferred the investigation to the CBI. The agency arrested Vinay Kulkarni in November 2020 after questioning him in connection with the crime.
Following the investigation, the CBI filed a charge sheet before the Special Court for People’s Representatives. Kulkarni, named as the prime accused, has been in judicial custody since June 13, 2025, and is currently facing trial in the matter.
The High Court will take up the bail plea after the CBI files its response.
