Daijiworld Media Network - Dharwad (SP)

Dharwad, Apr 9: The chief JMFC court here has ordered an investigation against former minister and coalition candidate from the Lok Sabha constituency here, Vinay Kulkarni, and two senior police officers, relating to the murder of a person named Yogesh Gowda. The charges against the accused relate to destruction of evidences. This order was passed on Monday April 8.

Yogesh Gowda, who was murdered, was a zilla panchayat member from Hubballi. Yogesh Gowda's brother, Gurunath Gowda, in his application filed in the court, had accused Vinay Kulkarni and deputy superintendents of police, Chandrashekhar and Tulajappa Sulfi, of threatening the witnesses against adducing evidence in the court in the said case. Gurunath also said that these people had also tried to reach an out-of-court settlement in the issue.

Judge of the court, Vijayalaxmi, who heard the application afresh, issued the above order which can have far reaching consequences, said advocate for petitioners, Dinesh Shetty.

Yogesh Gowda had been murdered on June 15, 2016. In 2017, allegations of attempting to destroy evidences had surfaced against Vinay Kulkarni, Tulajappa Sulfi and Chandrashekhar.