BENGALURU: The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday issued notice to the Central Bureau of Investigation on an appeal filed by Congress MLA and former minister Vinay Kulkarni, challenging the life sentence imposed on him by a special court in the Dharwad ZP member Yogesh Goudar murder case.
A division bench of Mohammad Nawaz and Venkatesh Naik T passed the order after hearing the appeal challenging the legality of the order passed by the special court for trial of criminal cases against sitting and former MPs/MLAs on April 17.
While discussing the aggravating factors before imposing the sentence, the special court noted that Kulkarni, accused No 15, being an MLA and district in-charge minister, entertained a grudge against his political opponent and had committed the horrendous act.
Kulkarni, a member of an affluent family, had entered into a criminal conspiracy, and the murder was committed in a predetermined, cold-blooded manner which cannot be easily brushed aside, it had said.
Along with Kulkarni, the special court also sentenced 15 other accused to life imprisonment.