Did Underworld Don Arun Gawli Just Walk Free After 18 Years?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Arun Gawli has been released from jail after 18 years.
- The Supreme Court granted bail based on his age and time served.
- Gawli was convicted for his role in the murder of Kamlakar Jamsandekar.
- His release could lead to renewed discussions about crime in politics.
- Gawli's journey reflects the complex dynamics of Mumbai's underworld.
New Delhi, Sep 3 (NationPress) Underworld don and former legislator Arun Gawli has been released from Nagpur Central Jail following a bail decision from the Supreme Court, marking nearly 18 years since his conviction in the notorious murder case of Shiv Sena corporator Kamlakar Jamsandekar.
The 73-year-old gangster-turned-politician had been serving a life sentence in Nagpur jail since 2012, subsequent to a Mumbai sessions court declaring him guilty in relation to the 2007 murder of Jamsandekar. Gawli was implicated in planning the assassination, which stemmed from political conflicts within Mumbai’s civic administration.
While issuing bail, the Supreme Court acknowledged that Gawli has already spent 18 years in prison and is now of advanced age.
These considerations were pivotal in the apex court’s ruling that permitted his release. Once a significant underworld figure in Mumbai, Gawli transitioned into politics in the early 2000s.
In 2004, he was elected as a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for the Byculla constituency.
His political influence, however, was overshadowed by claims of criminal wrongdoing. In March 2007, Shiv Sena corporator Kamlakar Jamsandekar was murdered outside his home in Mumbai. Investigators later associated the crime with Gawli's gang, alleging it was executed at his direction. The legal proceedings concluded in 2012, resulting in his life imprisonment.
He was then moved to Nagpur Central Jail, where he remained until his recent bail was secured. Known as the ‘Daddy’ of Dagdi Chawl, Gawli’s path from the underworld to the legislative assembly has been headline news for many years.
His release on bail after nearly two decades is anticipated to reignite discussions concerning his influence in Mumbai’s political and criminal realms.
For now, the Supreme Court’s ruling has cleared the way for Gawli to regain his freedom, concluding another chapter in one of Mumbai’s most notorious crime narratives.