Karnataka minister Vinay Kulkarni denies role in BJP leader Yogish Gouda Goudar's murder

HUBBALLI/BELAGAVI: Minister Vinay Kulkarni has lashed out BJP leaders for linking his name with BJP leader Yogish Gouda Goudar’s murder case. Denying all allegations leveled by Yogish Gouda’s family members, he said that he had no role in the murder.

A section of media on Thursday aired interview of Gurunath Gouda, younger brother of Yogish, in which he (Gurunath) said that Kulkarni had harassed his family and has put pressure on them to compromise in this case.

Reacting to this in Belagavi Suvarna Soudha, Kulkarni said, BJP leaders are trying to drag his name in this case unnecessarily. “I am nowhere connected to the murder case. This is an effort by the BJP leaders to deter me from participating in Lingayat separate religion rally. Yogish Gouda murder case is before the court and the court will take decision”, he said.

“Yogish was in different party, and that does not mean that whatever happened to him should be linked to me. I have never pressurised anyone. This is a conspiracy to tarnish my image,” he said.

Yogish Gouda, a Zilla Panchayat member of Hebballi constituency belonging to BJP, was brutally killed at his gym in Dharwad on June 15, 2016 by five assailants. The city police arrested the accused after two days of his murder. Basavraj Mutagi, Vinayak Katagi, Vikram Ballari, Kirtikumar Basavraj Kurahatti and Sandeep Savadatti, all from Dharwad district, were arrested on the charges of murdering Yogish Gouda. 

On Friday, an audio clip in which minister Vinay Kulkarni allegedly threatening an advocate was released to media houses. In the clip, Kulkarni threatens advocate for supporting Mallamma (wife of Yogish Gouda) in court cases.

Kulkarni clarified that he had called the advocate but the issue was different. “The audio clip was edited by the BJP leaders and they have joined various voice records of mine and presented it before media,” he said.