New Delhi, April 18: A significant ruling has emerged from a special court regarding the high-profile Yogesh Gowda murder case in Karnataka. On April 15, a Bengaluru-based special court, which handles criminal cases involving politicians, declared 17 defendants guilty. Sentencing for the convicted individuals was announced on April 17.
Vinay Rajshekarappa Kulkarni, a former state minister for mining and geology and a legislator from Dharwad, was identified as the main conspirator. He received a sentence of double life imprisonment along with a fine of ₹90,000.
The court also found Kulkarni’s uncle and co-accused, Chandrashekhar Indi, guilty under similar charges—IPC Sections 120-B, 302, and 201—and sentenced him to double life imprisonment, also imposing a fine of ₹90,000. Additionally, 14 other accused individuals, including Vikram Ballari, Keertikumar Kurhatti, Sandeep Saudatti alias Sandy, Vinayak Katagi, Mahabaleshwar Hongal alias Mudaka, Santosh Saudatti, Dinesh, Ashwaththa, Sunil, Nazir Ahmed, Shahnawaz, Nutan, Harshit C., and Vikas Kalburgi, were sentenced to double life imprisonment under conspiracy, murder, and rioting charges, with each fined ₹96,000.
The court also convicted police inspector C. Tingerikar, sentencing him to seven years of rigorous imprisonment and imposing a fine of ₹80,000 under IPC Sections 120-B, 201, and 218. Furthermore, the court mandated that ₹1.6 million from the total fines be awarded as compensation to the children of the deceased.
Notably, Yogesh Gowda was murdered inside his gym in Dharwad on June 15, 2016. Initially, the local police conducted the investigation, but the Karnataka government later transferred the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The CBI uncovered that the murder was part of a premeditated conspiracy involving multiple individuals, with attempts made to destroy evidence.
A total of 21 defendants faced charges during the investigation, which included testimonies from 113 witnesses, 291 documents, and 32 pieces of physical evidence presented in court. After extensive hearings, the court found 17 defendants guilty on April 15, 2026, and announced their sentences on April 17. The court has also instructed legal action against 10 witnesses for providing false testimony.
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