Bengaluru, Apr 9 (IANS) The Karnataka High Court on Monday dismissed Congress MLA Vinay Kulkarni's plea seeking quashing of the FIR filed against him in connection with the murder of BJP worker Yogesh Gowda.

A bench of Justice Krishna S. Dixit also directed the Central Bureau of Investigation to complete the inquiry and questioning of witnesses in the case swiftly.

BJP worker Gowda was hacked to death at his gym on June 15, 2016, and the accused surrendered to the police. However, the BJP and Gowda's family demanded a CBI inquiry.

Kulkarni was a cabinet minister in the Siddaramaiah-led government then.

Former CM B.S. Yediyurappa had announced in a public rally that as soon as the BJP government came to power, Kulkarni would be sent to prison. Yediyurappa had handed over the case to the CBI after assuming power in 2019.

Following the CBI probe, Kulkarni was arrested and he got bail after nine months.

Kulkarni, who is deemed close to Siddaramaiah, was elected from the Dharwad Assembly seat in the 2023 state polls, despite the court banning his entry into the constituency and his wife and daughter campaigning on his behalf. He is presently the Chairman of the Karnataka Urban Water Supply and Drainage Board.