Supreme Court grants bail to gangster Arun Gawli in 2007 murder case

The Supreme Court has granted bail to gangster Arun Gawli in the 2007 murder of Mumbai Shiv Sena corporator Kamlakar Jamsandekar

"We have been informed that the appellants have been incarcerated for nearly 18 years. Taking into consideration that the appellants have been incarcerated for a period of almost 18 years, we are inclined to grant bail to them. Accordingly, the appellants are directed to be released on bail, during the pendency of the appeals, on such terms and conditions as may be imposed by the Trial Court", a bench of Justices MM Sundresh and NK Singh ordered yesterday.

However, court has granted liberty to the respondents to file an appropriate application for cancellation of bail, if Gawli is found to be violating either the conditions imposed by the Trial Court or are found to be involved in any other offence.

Last year, the Supreme Court of India had stayed the premature release of Gawli, who was serving a life sentence in a murder case.

A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Dipankar Datta had stayed the operation of the April 5, 2024 order of the Bombay High Court

Senior Advocate Nitya Ramakrishnan, appearing for Gawli, had contended that other co-accused had been granted bail and the Bombay High Court was right in granting premature release. She had further submitted that Gawli is suffering from heart disease and has lung diseases. In response, the state's counsel had Gawli was a chain smoker over the last 40 years. Senior Advocate Raja Thackeray, representing the Maharashtra government, had also highlighted that Gawli faced over 46 charges, including approximately 10 murder cases. Under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA), convicts had to undergo imprisonment for at least 40 years for remission in terms of the 2015 policy, Court was further told.

Notably, court had citied the iconic dialogue from the movie Sholay “So ja beta, warna Gabbar aa jayega” while confirming its earlier stay and told Ramakrishnan that she should know "not everybody is Arun Gawli".

Gawli was convicted and awarded life sentence by a Mumbai sessions court in 2012. The trial court had also imposed a fine of Rs 17 lakh. He was a gangster from Dagdi Chawl in Byculla, who founded the Akhil Bharatiya Sena and was elected as MLA from Chinchpokli constituency between 2004 and 2009. He and others were arrested in 2006 and later convicted in the murder case of Jamsandekar.

Case Title: ARUN GULAB GAWALI vs. THE STATE OF MAHARASHTRA & ANR.

Order Date: August 28, 2025

Bench: Justices MM Sundresh and NK Singh