Supreme Court Stops Early Release of Arun Gawli, Notorious Gangster-Turned-Politician

The Supreme Court of India has extended its order to prevent the early release of Arun Gawli, a gangster-turned-politician serving life imprisonment for murder. A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Dipankar Datta made its June 3 order absolute, staying the operation of the April 5 order of the Bombay High Court’s Nagpur Bench.

The High Court had directed state authorities to consider Gawli’s application for premature release under the 2006 remission policy. However, the Supreme Court refused an urgent hearing of Gawli’s parole application, emphasizing that while convicts have a right to premature release, society also has a right to live peacefully.

Senior advocate Nitya Ramakrishnan, representing Gawli, argued that her client, aged 72, has been released 15 times on parole and suffers from a severe breathing disorder. She highlighted the 2006 remission policy that provides relief to prisoners over 65 who have completed 14 years of imprisonment.

Senior advocate Raja Thakare, representing the Maharashtra government, pointed out that Gawli has over 46 cases, including around 10 murder cases, against him. The Maharashtra government had moved the apex court seeking a stay on the High Court’s April 5 order.

Gawli, who is serving life imprisonment for the 2006 murder of Mumbai Shiv Sena corporator Kamlakar Jamsandekar, claimed to have complied with all conditions of the 2006 policy. The state government opposed his plea, citing revised guidelines from 2010 that require convicts of organized crime to serve 40 years of actual imprisonment before being considered for premature release.

The High Court had initially rejected the state government’s contentions and directed authorities to pass a consequential order. However, the state government sought more time to implement the order, leading to the current Supreme Court intervention. The case will be heard again on November 20.