Bangalore: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is probing the murder of former BJP Zilla panchayat member Yogesh Gowda. The probe agency has arrested one more person in connection with the case, sources said Monday. With the arrest of Chandrashekhar Indi, the number of those arrested in the Yogesh Gowda murder case has gone up to eight. Indi is a relative of former Congress minister Vinay Kulkarni who has already been arrested in the case, the sources informed.
India had allegedly supplied the weapon to the main accused Basappa Shivappa Muttagi, sources in the probe agency said.
“”Muttagi obtained the weapon from Indi, which was used in killing Gowda,” a CBI official said. Indi used to attend all the hearings relating to the case. He allegedly used to influence the witness,” he added.
Gowda, a BJP Zilla Panchayat member, was killed in his gym in Dharwad by unidentified men June 15, 2016. Gowda’s murder was a result of political rivalry. Kulkarni, the then MLA and minister, had allegedly asked him not to contest the Zilla Panchayat elections. However, Gowda did not heed to the demand and that led to his death.
Kulkarni and Gowda had heated exchanges on several occasions. A ‘serious altercation’ took place between the two during a Zilla Panchayat meeting. The meeting chaired by Kulkarni April 22, 2016, the CBI has said. The agency has claimed that the altercation triggered the conspiracy to murder Gowda.
