Karnataka MLA Vinay Kulkarni Disqualified Following Murder Conviction

Karnataka legislative assembly on Saturday disqualified Congress MLA Vinay Kulkarni following his conviction by a Bengaluru sessions court in a criminal case. Kulkarni was issued an official notification by the assembly after he was convicted in the murder case of BJP leader Yogeshgouda Goudar. He is currently in prison serving life imprisonment in the case.

"Consequent upon the conviction of Vinay Kulkarni, Member of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly representing the Dharwad constituency, by the LXXXI Additional City Civil & Sessions Judge, Bengaluru City (CCH-82), in Spl CC No. 565/2021, he stands disqualified from the membership of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly from the date of conviction, i.e, April 15, 2026," the notification read.

Kulkarni was disqualified based on the provisions of Article 191(1)(e) of the Constitution and section 8 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951. "He stands disqualified in terms of the provisions of Article 191(1)(e) of the Constitution of India, read with Section 8 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, and such disqualification shall continue for a further period of six years after his release, unless the conviction is stayed by a competent court," the notification further read.

With Kulkarni's disqualification, one seat in the Karnataka legislative assembly has fallen vacant. Bypolls were held on April 9 to fill two other seats in the 224-member Assembly that fell vacant due to the death of sitting MLAs. The results will be declared on May 4.

Judge Santhosh Gajanan Bhat convicted Kulkarni and 15 others on April 15 under various IPC sections, including criminal conspiracy and murder. On April 17, the court sentenced Kulkarni along with others convicted in the case to life imprisonment. The case related to the killing of Goudar, a BJP Zilla Panchayat member in Dharwad on June 15, 2016. Kulkarni was a minister at that time. Goudar was attacked by assailants and was hacked to death in his gym at Saptapur in Dharwad. The case was later transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in 2019. A supplementary chargesheet was filed by CBI in 2020, naming Vinay Kulkarni as the 'main conspirator.' It alleged that he perceived Yogeshgouda Goudar as a growing political rival in Dharwad and hired contract killers to eliminate him. Kulkarni was later arrested by the CBI in 2020. He was granted bail by the Supreme Court in August 2021 under certain conditions, including a ban on entering Dharwad district. However, in June 2025, the apex court cancelled his bail following allegations of witness tampering and attempts to influence prosecution witnesses. Kulkarni again applied for bail in January 2026, but it was rejected by high court, citing judicial propriety. However, the Supreme Court granted him bail on February 27 after observing that all witnesses had been examined.