Bengaluru court sentences Cong MLA Vinay Kulkarni to life imprisonment in murder case
The court also sentenced 16 people convicted in the case to life imprisonment.
On Wednesday, Special Court Judge Santhosh Gajanan Bhat, in-charge of cases involving elected representatives, convicted Kulkarni and others under IPC sections including criminal conspiracy and murder.
On April 16, the CBI sought life imprisonment without any reduction for Kulkarni, while the MLA’s lawyer objected to the minimum sentence, citing his social work, political background and responsibilities towards his children and other family members.
The case relates to the murder of Goudar, a BJP zilla panchayat member, in Dharwad on June 15, 2016. Kulkarni was a minister at that time.
The hired assailants attacked Goudar at his gym in Saptapur in Dharwad and hacked him to death.
Following demands from Goudar’s family and others, the then BJP government handed over the case to the CBI in 2019. The CBI filed a supplementary chargesheet in 2020 naming Kulkarni as the ‘main conspirator’. He claimed that he perceived Goudar as a growing political rival in Dharwad and hired hitmen to eliminate him.
Kulkarni was arrested by the CBI in 2020. He was granted bail from the Supreme Court in August 2021 with conditions including a ban on entering Dharwad district.
However, in June 2025, the high court canceled his bail following allegations of witness tampering and attempts to influence prosecution witnesses.
Kulkarni again sought bail in January 2026, but the Supreme Court rejected the request citing judicial expediency. However, the Supreme Court noted that all witnesses were heard and decided to release him on bail on February 27.
Kulkarni is likely to be disqualified as MLA.
