Court finds Cong MLA Vinay Kulkarni guilty in BJP leader Yogesh Gowda murder case
Bengaluru (PTI): A Special Court for MPs and MLAs on Wednesday found Congress MLA Vinay Kulkarni guilty in the 2016 murder of BJP leader Yogesh Gowda.
Along with him, 16 others were found guilty. Two other accused were acquitted by Judge Santhosh Gajanan Bhat.
The court will pronounce the quantum of punishment on Thursday.
Yogesh Gowda, a BJP member and former Dharwad Zila Panchayat member, was hacked to death at his gymnasium in Dharwad on June 15, 2016.
Kulkarni is accused of conspiracy in the murder. He was a minister at the time of the incident.
Initially handled by local police, the case was transferred to the CBI in 2019 when the BJP came to power.
The central agency has recorded statements of 113 witnesses and arrested Kulkarni in 2020.
The MLA spent over nine months in jail before receiving bail from the Supreme Court.
The court ordered the CBI, which investigated the case, to take custody of the accused.
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Union Minister Sanjay Kumar's son booked under POCSO, files counter-complaint of extortion
Hyderabad (PTI): A case under POCSO Act was registered against Union Minister Bandi Sanjay Kumar's son here following allegations of sexual harassment of a minor girl, a charge denied by the accused who alleged extortion and criminal intimidation by the teen and her parents.
According to the 17-year-old girl's mother, Sanjay Kumar's son Bhageerath, who was in a relationship with her daughter, sexually harassed her.
The alleged relationship began about seven-eight months ago, police said.
They are yet to examine the girl, who is a student.
Meanwhile, Bhageerath complained to the police in Karimnagar that the girl who got acquainted to him, invited him to her family functions and group gatherings.
An FIR was registered based on the complaint.
Bhageerath said in the complaint that, believing the girl's family to be trustworthy, he accompanied them and visited some holy places, as part of a friends group.
Subsequently, the girl and her parents intimidated him to marry her, but he rejected the proposal, following which the girl's parents demanded money and also threatened him with false complaints if he failed to pay the amount.
Out of fear, he paid Rs 50,000 to the girl's father, but they demanded Rs five crore. If he failed to comply, the girl's mother would commit suicide, Bhageerath alleged in his complaint.
