HC dismisses Vinay Kulkarni’s petition to bar him from enter Dharwad

BENGALURU: The High Court on Friday dismissed Congress candidate Vinay Kulkarni’s petition against the bar on him from entering Dharwad. Kulkarni, who is contesting from Dharwad Assembly constituency, had moved the High Court seeking permission to hold election campaigns in the segment for 50 days.

During the hearing on Friday, the court questioned Kulkarni’s lawyer whether the party has given him the ticket to contest the election from Dharwad despite the Supreme Court’s order not to allow him to enter there. It is said that the court took the lawyer to task during the hearing of the application.

Kulkarni had filed an application in the High Court challenging the order of the special court for elected representatives, directing him not to enter Dharwad. Kulkarni had approached the special court on April 15 seeking permission to visit Dharwad for campaigning.

Kulkarni got the ticket from the Congress and is preparing to contest the Assembly polls from Dharwad. But the Supreme Court, while granting him conditional bail in the case of the murder of Dharwad BJP Zilla Panchayat member Yogesh Gowda, had earlier ordered Kulkarni not to enter Dharwad, as he is an accused in the case.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) prosecutor made a strong argument and insisted that the court not allow him to campaign in Dharwad. He said about 90 of the 120 witnesses are from Dharwad in the Yogesh Gowda murder case. If the court gives permission, he may have misuse the order and there could be a problem for further investigation as there may be chances of threatening witnesses, the CBI lawyer said.