Gangster-turned-politician Arun Gawli on Thursday was granted bail by the Supreme Court in connection with the 2007 murder case of Shiv Sena corporator Kamlakar Jamsandekar.
The 76-year-old politician had been booked under the provisions of the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act, 1999 (MCOCA), PTI reported.
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Justices M.M. Sunderesh and N. Kotishwar Singh granted him bail as his plea had been pending before the top court for 17 years and three months. The bench will take up the case for final hearing in February 2026.
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Earlier, in June 2024, the Apex court had stayed the Bombay High Court's decision granting premature release to Gawli.
Following this, the top court extended its stay order on Gawli's premature release.
Gawli, in his plea, claimed that the state authorities' rejection of his application for premature release was unjust, arbitrary, and liable to be set aside.
The Maharashtra government opposed his plea before the High Court for premature release.
The High Court had rejected the State government's contentions and gave authorities four weeks to pass a consequential order in that regard.
However, on May 9, the state government again moved the High Court, seeking four months to implement the April 5 order stating that they had challenged the verdict by moving the top court.
The High Court then gave the government four more weeks to implement the April 5 order for the premature release of Gawli and made it clear that no further extensions would be granted.
Gawli was arrested and underwent a trial in 2006 for the murder of Jamsandekar. In August 2012, the Sessions Court in Mumbai sentenced him to life imprisonment in the murder case.