Congress MLA Vinay Kulkarni has moved the Karnataka High Court challenging the trial court verdict convicting him and sentencing him to life imprisonment for his role in the 2016 murder of BJP leader Yogesh Gowda.

He has sought to overturn the conviction dated April 15, 2026, and the life imprisonment sentence dated April 17, 2026 imposed by an Additional City Civil and Sessions Judge in Bengaluru.

Yogesh Gowda, a BJP zilla panchayat member, was murdered in his gym in Dharwad on June 15, 2016. Following the murder, a first information report (FIR) was registered at the Dharwad Suburban Police Station. 

The CBI investigated the case and filed a chargesheet for offences of criminal conspiracy, murder, public servant disobeying law to shield an accused, destruction of evidence, unlawful assembly and rioting with deadly weapons, illegal possession and trafficking of arms and public servant's misconduct for undue gain.

Kulkarni was arrested by the CBI on November 5, 2020.

The Supreme Court granted him bail on August 11, 2021, but later cancelled it on June 7, 2025 after finding credible evidence of his attempting to contact or influence witnesses during the trial.

On April 15 this year, a trial court held him and 15 others guilty on various charges. Two days later, they were sentenced to life imprisonment.

Kulkarni has now challenged this verdict before the High Court. He has also urged the High Court to stay the operation of the trial court judgment until his appeal is decided.

Advocate Sunil Kumar will be representing Kulkarni before the High Court.