Days after he was announced as the Congress candidate from Dharwad constituency, Vinay Kulkarni, accused in the murder case of BJP Zilla Panchayat member Yogesh Gowda, has been denied permission to enter Dharwad by the Special Court of People's Representatives in Bengaluru. Kulkarni had filed a petition seeking permission to enter the district, but the judge refused after being convinced that the Supreme Court had also refused to let him enter Dharwad earlier.

Yogesh Gowda was murdered in June 2016 and Kulkarni was arrested in November 2020 in connection with the case. The court had granted conditional bail to Kulkarni making it clear that he cannot enter Dharwad district. The court had warned that his bail would be canceled if he violated this condition.

The court's decision to deny entry to Vinay Kulkarni into Dharwad was based on concerns over the safety of witnesses in the Yogesh Gowda murder case. The CBI had argued that Kulkarni's entry into the constituency could be misused and that there was a possibility of witness intimidation.

The case has a total of 120 witnesses, of which 90 people are from Dharwad. If Kulkarni were allowed into the constituency, the case could face serious problems at a later stage, the CBI said. The court accepted the CBI's contention and granted him conditional bail.

Kulkarni's wife had already submitted nomination papers on his behalf as the Congress candidate for the Dharwad constituency for the upcoming elections on May 10. However, the court's decision to deny him entry into the district will hurt his prospects in the election.