A Special Court for MPs and MLAs in Bengaluru on Wednesday convicted Congress MLA Vinay R. Kulkarni and 16 others in the decade-old murder case of BJP Zilla Panchayat member Yogesh Gowda (also known as Yogeshgouda Goudar).

Judge Santhosh Gajanan Bhat held the sitting Dharwad Rural MLA guilty of criminal conspiracy and murder under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code.

Kulkarni was, however, acquitted of charges under the Arms Act. Two of the accused were acquitted in the case.

The court has scheduled the pronouncement of the quantum of sentence for Thursday, April 16.

Following the verdict, CBI officials were directed to take the convicts into custody, and Kulkarni is being shifted to Parappana Agrahara Central Prison in Bengaluru.

Yogesh Gowda, a 26-year-old BJP leader and former member of the Dharwad Zilla Panchayat, was hacked to death on June 15, 2016, at his gymnasium in Saptapur, Dharwad.

The case was initially registered at the Dharwad Suburban Police Station and later handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

Kulkarni was named as the prime conspirator (Accused No. 15) in the supplementary chargesheet filed by the CBI.

Kulkarni, a former minister in the Karnataka government, has maintained his innocence throughout the prolonged trial.

The case has seen multiple legal twists, including allegations of witness tampering, which led the Supreme Court to cancel his bail in June 2025.

He was granted bail by the apex court again in February 2026 before the final verdict.

Soon after the judgment was announced, Kulkarni’s supporters took to the streets in Dharwad in protest.

Local reports indicate tension in the region as news of the conviction spread.

This verdict is being seen as a major political development in Karnataka, particularly in North Karnataka, where both the Congress and the BJP have strong stakes.

The outcome is expected to have repercussions ahead of future electoral battles in the state.