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Time of India
6 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Supreme Court denies bail to convicted Mumbai gangster Arun Gawli pending appeal in 2007 murder case
Mumbai: The Supreme Court on Wednesday denied bail to convicted gangster Arun Gulab Gawli pending his appeal against conviction in a 2007 murder case. The SC bench of Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and Aravind Kumar declined Gawli's plea for bail. Appearing for Gawli, former Bombay High Court Judge, Abhay Thipsay, then sought an early date to expedite the hearing of the appeal, as in the other case against him, the gangster was acquitted. Gawli was serving a rigorous life imprisonment sentence after an Aug 2012 conviction in a 2007 murder case of Mumbai Shiv Sena corporator Kamlakar Jamsandekar and 2008 and 2009 special cases under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act. The life sentence is life till the end of natural life, the SC has held time and again. The state, however, has a remission policy in place for lifers. You Can Also Check: Mumbai AQI | Weather in Mumbai | Bank Holidays in Mumbai | Public Holidays in Mumbai The state, represented by additional solicitor general Raja Thakare, meanwhile, earlier filed a special leave petition (SLP) seeking to challenge the judgment dated April 5 passed by the Nagpur bench of the Bombay HC bench that permitted the gangster's early release citing a 2006 state policy for remission, called the 'Premature Release policy'. Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 15 most beautiful women in the world Undo by Taboola by Taboola The state said the HC order was "completely misconceived'' as the law provides power to remit a sentence to the govt. The SC, in a 1976 ruling, said only the govt possesses sole discretion of granting remission to a convict. The state's contention was that the HC could not compel the state to implement any remission and release him as it said Gawli is a "hardened criminal turned politician'' convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment for his role in a crime syndicate case and has other pending cases against him, including others under the stringent MCOCA. Gawli formed the Akhil Bharatiya Sena and was also elected as Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) in 2004 in Chinchpokli, Mumbai, a neighbourhood close to his home at Dagdi Chawl.
Hindustan Times
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Arun Gawli, six others acquitted in 2005 extortion case
MUMBAI: A special MCOCA (Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act) court on Wednesday acquitted gangster-turned-politician Arun Gawli and six others in an extortion case for want of cogent evidence. Special judge BD Shelke acquitted Gawli and six others after a prime witness told the court that he had not been threatened when he visited Dagdi chawl in Byculla, where Gawli lived. He also said that he had given 'donations' to a co-accused of his own accord, contradicting his complaint to the police regarding extortion. Apart from Gawli, those acquitted in the case were Vijay Gulab Ahir, Shrikrishna Gurav, Mohammed Sharif Yusuf Qureshi, Ajit Chandrakant Rane, Sudhir Krishna Ghorpade aka Raju and Motiram Ramchandra Mahadik. According to the prosecution, the incident dated back to 2005, when the complainant, a builder, was executing a redevelopment project in Dadar West. His office received several calls on its landline number at the time. The caller identified himself as Raju, claimed he was calling on behalf of the gangster and instructed the builder's staff members to tell him to visit Dagdi chawl. The builder agreed to visit Dagadi chawl after discussing the matter with his partner. On the appointed day, when he reached the chawl, he was asked to return another day. During the second visit, he was told that all builders who had projects in Dadar paid them ₹50 lakh per project and he too should pay them ₹25 lakh. When the builder said he would be able to pay the amount only after selling tenements in the project, he was asked to pay ₹10 lakh immediately. Subsequently, between December 2005 and May 2006, he paid ₹7 lakh to co-accused Sudhir Ghorpade in instalments. The extortion continued till March 2008, when the builder reported the matter to the police. A first information report (FIR) was registered at the Shivaji Park police station and co-accused Dinesh Narkar was arrested by the crime branch when he visited the builder's office to collect the money. The police also recovered a country-made revolver from him. Gawli is currently serving a life term at Nagpur central prison for the murder of Shiv Sena leader and corporator Kamlakar Jamsandekar. In April this year, the Bombay high court had accepted his petition seeking premature release based on a 2006 state government notification. The high court order was stayed by the Supreme Court in June this year, ending the possibility of the gangster's early release from jail.
Time of India
15-05-2025
- Time of India
In last trial, Gawli acquitted in '05 builder extortion case
Mumbai: Observing that the purported victim's evidence lacked trustworthiness, reliability and acceptability, a special MCOCA court on Wednesday acquitted jailed gangster Arun Gawli and six others in a 2005 . Tired of too many ads? go ad free now There are now no pending trials left against Gawli (73), who is serving a life sentence for the murder of Sena corporator Kamlakar Jamsandekar in judge found serious flaws in the investigation and repeatedly noted that these flaws cast doubt on the genuineness of the case. The investigating officers' conduct revealed that they were "highly interested" and gave preferential treatment to an accused who later became a prosecution witness, said the court. It pointed out that call data records and CCTV footage were not collected nor were material witnesses' statements recorded, and, therefore, the alleged confessions of an accused could not be relied on.A builder had in 2005 alleged that the gang headed by Gawli demanded Rs 50 lakh to continue a Dadar redevelopment project, but the judge said the prosecution failed to establish that Rs 8 lakh was extorted from him and that the accused attempted to extort money from him again when he started another SRA project two years judge said the builder failed to identify Gawli's brother Vijay alias Bhau Gulab Ahir (63), another accused, during his testimony, adding that had the builder indeed met him and negotiated the extortion amount with him directly, it is highly improbable he would have forgotten him. Noting that the builder had been in contact with crime branch officers prior to the FIR being lodged in 2008 and knew that his phone calls were under scrutiny, the judge said it was "highly impossible" that he would have kept mum after receiving an extortion threat. "This conduct is not natural. It speaks volumes."The court held that the statements of witnesses and circumstantial evidence were not sufficient to establish that the accused entered into an agreement to commit an offence of extortion and criminal was produced via video conferencing from Kolhapur jail. During the trial, 29 witnesses deposed.
Indian Express
14-05-2025
- Indian Express
Gangster Arun Gawli, brother, five others acquitted in 20-year-old extortion case
GANGSTER Arun Gawli, his brother and five others were acquitted by a special court Wednesday in a case of extortion dating back to 2005, where it was claimed that a builder was threatened and forced to give his gang Rs 8 lakh. The court said there was no evidence to show that a criminal conspiracy was planned and the money was extorted by any of the accused. Gawli, however, is behind bars serving life imprisonment for the murder of a councillor in 2007. Special Judge B D Shelke said there was no sufficient evidence to prove the case against the accused. They were acquitted of charges including extortion, criminal conspiracy of the Indian Penal Code and relevant sections of the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act. The present case against Gawli and his co-accused was based on a complaint by a builder, who had claimed that his gang members had demanded and forced him to give money to complete a project through the Slum Rehabilitation Authority in Dadar. The complainant had claimed that in October 2005, his employee had received a call on their office landline. The caller asked him to come to Dagdi Chawl in Byculla, where Gawli resided and allegedly operated his gang out of. The complainant alleged to have received four such calls and was told that he will be killed if he does not come to Dagdi Chawl. The complainant had said he subsequently went there and was introduced to Vijay Ahir, Gawli's brother. The complainant had claimed that Rs 50 lakh were demanded from him to go ahead with the development project. He claimed that out of fear he agreed to pay Rs 10 lakh in instalments and paid the gang Rs 7 lakh and then another lakh for the celebration of Navratri festival, between December 2005 and May 2006. He said when he again received a call for further payment of Rs 3 lakh, he approached the Mumbai Police. During the trial, one of the accused turned into an approver, agreeing to depose against the other co-accused as a prosecution witness. The prosecution had claimed that Gawli was a notorious don, and his gang was targeting those engaged in construction and development projects and after the murder of councillor Kamlakar Jamsandekar by the gang, there was fear of the gang. The lawyers for the accused said they were falsely implicated and there are lacunae in the probe as the investigator has not collected call data records, CCTV footage and other evidence to show that the calls were made to the complainant.
Hindustan Times
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Jailed gangster Arun Gawli acquitted in 2008 extortion case
Mumbai, A Mumbai court on Wednesday acquitted gangster Arun Gawli, his younger brother Vijay Ahir and five of his gang members in a 2008 extortion case, holding that the prosecution had failed to prove the charges against them. The gangster, serving life imprisonment for the murder of Shiv Sena leader Kamlakar Jamsandekar, is currently lodged in a Nagpur jail. There were nine accused in the extortion case, of which one died during the course of the trial and another turned approver. The rest, including Gawli and his brother, were acquitted by Special Judge B D Shelke, who presides over the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act special court here. A builder undertaking an SRA redevelopment project in Dadar in 2005 had filed an extortion complaint against the Gawli gang in 2008. He had alleged that Gawli, through his gang members, demanded ₹50 lakh to allow him to continue the redevelopment project, the prosecution said. The complainant had agreed to pay ₹10 lakh in instalments. Between December 2005 and May 2006, he paid ₹7 lakh to the gang, said the prosecution. The builder also claimed to have paid another ₹1 lakh as a donation for Navratri celebrations. He further alleged that sometime in June or July 2005, one Dinesh Narkar, a co-accused in the case, came to his office and assaulted him. Narkar made him talk to Gawli's brother Vijay Ahir, who directed him to pay ₹3 lakh to the gang member, the court was told. The builder then reported the threat to the crime branch. The builder claimed that he did not file a complaint earlier due to Gawli's terror, the prosecution said. During the investigation by the crime branch, it came to light that the extortion had been committed by the members of an organised syndicate, and hence, the provisions of MCOCA were invoked in the case, the prosecution said. After going through the documents on record, the court ruled that the prosecution had failed to establish 'much less beyond reasonable doubt' that the accused were engaged in unlawful activity defined under MCOCA. 'In present case, evidence on record clearly demonstrates that the prosecution has failed to establish the guilt of the accused for the offences punishable under Indian Penal Code for extortion,' the court ruled. Therefore, the accused cannot be held guilty for offences under MCOCA, it added. Gawli, the founder of the Akhil Bharatiya Sena, was an MLA from 2004-2009 from the Chinchpokli assembly seat in Mumbai and had shot into prominence from Dagdi Chawl, a neighbourhood in the Byculla area. He was arrested for the 2007 murder of Shiv Sena corporator Kamlakar Jamsandekar. In August 2012, a sessions court in Mumbai sentenced him to life imprisonment in the murder case.
