Arun Gawli Returns to Dagdi Chawl in Grand Welcome

Arun Gawli, the notorious gangster-turned-politician, made a dramatic return to Mumbai’s Dagdi Chawl on Wednesday night after spending over 17 years behind bars. The 76-year-old former MLA, released on bail by the Supreme Court in a 2007 murder case, was greeted with a hero’s welcome by family and supporters.

Gawli, the founder of Akhil Bharatiya Sena and a former Chinchpokli MLA (2004-2009), stepped out of Nagpur Central Jail around 12:30 pm. After completing prison formalities, he boarded a flight to Mumbai under tight security. Upon arriving at his Dagdi Chawl residence around 9 pm, supporters showered him with flowers and vermillion powder, while sweets were distributed in celebration.

The Supreme Court, in its August 28 order, granted bail to Gawli, who was serving a life sentence for the murder of Shiv Sena corporator Kamlakar Jamsandekar. Justices M M Sundresh and N Kotiswar Singh noted his long incarceration and pending appeal. Gawli, convicted under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA), had challenged the Bombay High Court’s 2019 verdict upholding his sentence.

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In 2012, a Mumbai sessions court sentenced Gawli to life imprisonment and fined him Rs 17 lakh. His release has stirred excitement in Dagdi Chawl, a Byculla neighbourhood long associated with his rise to infamy. Family members, joined by a crowd of supporters and media, captured the emotional homecoming as Gawli entered his home.

Security was heightened at both the jail and Dagdi Chawl to manage the frenzy surrounding his release. The Supreme Court imposed bail conditions set by the trial court, marking a new chapter for the once-feared figure whose name still resonates in Mumbai’s underworld.

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