By | PR Network
Nagpur: After nearly 18 years behind bars, notorious underworld don Arun Gawli has been granted bail by the Supreme Court in a murder case dating back to 2007. Gawli was convicted for the killing of Mumbai Shiv Sena corporator Kamlakar Jamsandekar. The Supreme Court took into account Gawli’s advanced age, now 76, and the lengthy duration of his incarceration, deciding that continued detention was no longer necessary while his appeal is pending.
Release and security arrangements
Gawli was released today from Nagpur Central Jail and was escorted to Nagpur Airport, from where he departed for Mumbai. Security was tight during his release, with his family, including his brother and relatives, present at the jail. An ATS team was also deployed within the jail premises to maintain order.
Political and criminal legacy
Once a feared gangster dominating Mumbai’s Dagdi Chawl area, Arun Gawli transitioned into politics by founding the Akhil Bharatiya Sena. He served as a Member of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly representing Chinchpokli from 2004 to 2009. His gangland connections and political role have made him a controversial figure in Maharashtra’s complex power dynamics. Gawli’s conviction in 2012 sentenced him to life imprisonment, accompanied by a hefty fine. The Supreme Court’s bail order is conditional, with the final appeal scheduled for February 2026, and authorities retaining the right to cancel bail if conditions are violated.
Details of the murder case and legal proceedings
Gawli, who was an MLA from Mumbai’s Chinchpokli constituency between 2004 and 2009, was earlier sentenced to life imprisonment by the Mumbai Sessions Court in 2012 for his involvement in the politically charged murder. The attack on Jamsandekar occurred in 2007 amid rivalries in Mumbai’s criminal and political landscape. While Gawli and eleven others were convicted, the Supreme Court continued to consider his plea for release.
From underworld don to politician
Born in 1955, Arun Gulab Gawli rose from humble beginnings in Maharashtra to dominate Mumbai’s underworld in the 1980s and 1990s. Operating from his stronghold in Dagdi Chawl, he was involved in fierce gang wars with rivals like Dawood Ibrahim’s D-Company. Gawli also founded the political party Akhil Bharatiya Sena and served as a legislator, embedding himself in Mumbai’s complex nexus of crime and politics
