Supreme Court Rejects Congress MLA Vinay Kulkarni’s Request To Extend Time For Surrender In BJP Worker’s Murder Case
The Supreme Court on Friday (June 13) refused to extend the time given to Karnataka Congress MLA Vinay Kulkarni to surrender in a case related to the murder of a BJP member.
Last week, the Court had cancelled Kulkarni’s bail over allegations of witness tampering and asked him to surrender within one week.
Today, before a bench of Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra and Justice Manmohan, the counsel for the MLA made a mention seeking extension of time for surrendering. He said: “I am seeking extension because I am a sitting MLA and Chairman of the Karnataka Water Supply Board. I have to participate in the meeting scheduled for this week, Mylords.”
However, the Court refused to entertain the request.
On June 6, a bench of Justice Sanjay Karol and Justice Satish Chandra Sharma cancelled MLA Kulkarni’s bail after it observed that there was a violation of the bail conditions imposed by the Trial Court. It noted that there is sufficient material on record to suggest that the attempt(s) have been made by the Respondent to either contact witnesses or influence such witnesses.
As per the orders passed, Kulkarni was to surrender before the trial Court/jail authority within 1 week from the date of the order, and the trial Court shall endeavour to complete the trial expeditiously, uninfluenced by the Court’s observations.
Yogesh Gowda, a zilla panchayat member of the BJP from Hebballi constituency, was murdered by an armed gang at his gym in Saptapur in Dharwad on June 15, 2016. The Dharwad Police subsequent to his murder arrested six persons and chargesheeted them for murder.
Supported by BJP leaders, Gurunath Goudar, brother of Yogeeshgouda Goudar demanded CBI probe into the case which was finally fulfilled after the BJP-led government came to power in the State.
The CBI, took over the investigation on September 24, 2019, identified and arrested eight other accused and filed a charge-sheet on May 20, 2020. Arrested on November 5, 2020, Vinay Kulkarni has been in judicial custody in the Hindalga Jail of Belagavi since his bail plea was rejected twice, first by a lower court and then by the High Court.
The CBI in February, 2021 had also filed a supplementary charge sheet in the CBI Special Court.
Case Details: THE STATE OF KARNATAKA through the CBI Versus VINAY RAJASHEKHARAPPA KULKARNI, SLP(Crl) No. 7865/2025
