The Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court has granted a 28-day furlough to Arun Gawli, the former underworld figure convicted under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA). This decision follows Gawli’s petition challenging the earlier denial of his furlough application by the Deputy Inspector General of Prisons (East).
Gawli, who has been imprisoned since 2012 for the contract killing of Shiv Sena corporator Kamlakar Jamsandekar, had faced resistance to his furlough. Government representatives raised concerns that his release might disturb public order and draw attention to his daughter’s potential political aspirations. They also cited recent rule changes that limit furloughs for MCOCA convicts.
Defending Gawli, his counsel Mir Nagman Ali argued that no law-and-order issues had arisen during Gawli’s previous furloughs and that the denial of furlough was arbitrary. Ali emphasized that furlough serves as a legal opportunity for reintegration into society, pointing out Gawli’s good behavior during past parole periods.
The bench, consisting of Justice Nitin Sambre and Justice Vrushali Joshi, overruled the DIG’s decision and granted Gawli temporary release under specific conditions. Gawli, who was sentenced to life imprisonment and fined Rs.17 lakh, was convicted alongside 11 others.
Once a key figure in Mumbai’s underworld, Gawli later ventured into politics, serving as a Member of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly from the Chinchpokli constituency (now Byculla) in 2004.
