Karnataka High Court Grants Bail to Congress MLA in Murder Case

High Court Decision on Vinay Kulkarni's Sentence

On Friday, the High Court bench in Hubli-Dharwad, Karnataka, suspended the life sentence of Congress MLA Vinay Kulkarni in connection with the murder of BJP leader Yogesh Gaudar. The special court, established to handle cases against MPs and MLAs, had convicted Kulkarni and 15 others on April 16, with sentencing occurring the following day. The bench, comprising Justices Mohammad Nawaz and G. Basavaraju, provided this relief.

The court mandated Kulkarni to furnish a personal bond of ₹5 lakh and to present two sureties of the same amount. Additionally, the bench instructed him to cooperate with the investigation and imposed a travel restriction, preventing him from leaving the country without court approval. Yogesh Gaudar, a former member of the Dharwad District Panchayat and BJP leader, was murdered at a gym in Dharwad.

At the time of the incident, Kulkarni was serving as a minister. He was arrested in 2020 but was later granted bail.

Subsequently, he was transferred to the central prison in Bengaluru.