Local BJP leader and zilla panchayat member Yogesh Gowdar was murdered today in the twin city of Hubballi-Dharwad.
The 35-year-old leader was reportedly attacked by five weapon-wielding men at around 7.30 am in a gym owned by his friend. He died on the spot.
The police have been scanning CCTV camera footage from surrounding places with a fine-tooth comb. A dog squad was also pressed into action.
According to media reports, Gowdar was alone at the gym when the incident occurred.
In the recent zilla panchayat elections held in Hebballi in Dharwad district, Gowdar was arrested by the police for getting into a brawl with a group of locals.
“I have just now received the news of Yogesh Gowdar's murder. I've ordered the concerned officers to investigate the case and find the culprits as soon as possible. The police infer that the murder was caused due to some land issue,” said home minister G Parameshwara.
Soon after the murder came to light, Congress leader and minister Vinay Kulkarni, who had been embroiled in a political battle with the deceased, issued a formal statement
“We have lost a Jilla Panchayat member of our constituency. The police are investigating the case and the Chief Minister himself has assured us of a thorough investigation into the matter. Severe action will be taken against those found guilty of this heinous crime. During the election there was a clash of interests; in politics both parties have made allegations about each other. However, these conflicts and mutual allegations cannot be taken into account for this crime. We don’t cultivate enmity in the name of elections,” said Vinay Kulkarni, District In-charge Minister.
Opposition leader KS Eshwarappa, though is not quite convinced the murder was without political motive “Yogesh Gowdar was a disciplined leader of the BJP. Yogesh Gowdar had been attacked earlier too by some bad elements. This time he was killed. They must promptly investigate which politician is behind this. On the one hand, goondas from the sand mafia have been attacking officers and on the other hand they are killing political leaders. Has governance become Goonda Raj?” he asked.
Almost 10 years ago, Yogesh's elder brother Uday also met with a similarly grisly fate.
According to local media reports, Yogesh Gowdar was well entrenched in the real estate business, which earned him several political and business rivals.
