The Supreme Court of India on Thursday (August 28) granted bail to Arun Gawli, the infamous underworld don turned politician, who has been serving a life sentence for 18 years in Nagpur Central Jail. Gawli was convicted in the 2007 murder of Mumbai Shiv Sena corporator Kamlakar Jamsandekar. The court cited his age-73 years the duration of imprisonment as primary reasons for granting bail while his appeal is pending.
Details of the murder case and legal proceedings
Gawli, who was an MLA from Mumbai’s Chinchpokli constituency between 2004 and 2009, was 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.
Legal battle and delayed bail
Before the Supreme Court’s recent order, the Bombay High Court had granted premature release, which the Supreme Court stayed in June 2024. After deliberations on Gawli’s advanced age and the length of his incarceration, the apex court finally allowed his bail, with the case scheduled for final hearing in February 2026.
Arun Gawli: 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.
Legacy and impact on Mumbai’s political theatre
Gawli’s release comes amid a charged political atmosphere in Mumbai as municipal elections approach. His dual identity as both a feared gangster and elected representative continues to fascinate and alarm observers of Maharashtra’s power dynamics.
