The Supreme Court has ordered the release of gangster-turned-politician Arun Gawli on bail. Gawli has been serving a life sentence for the 2007 murder of Shiv Sena corporator Kamlakar Jamsandekar in Mumbai.

The bench noted that he has been in jail for over 17 years and his appeal is still pending in court. The court also considered his 76 years of age as a basis for granting bail.

Arun Gawli had challenged the Bombay High Court’s decision, which in 2019 had upheld the life sentence given to him by the lower court. The final hearing on Gawli’s appeal will take place in February 2026.

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Gawli has also been a legislator

Notably, former legislator Arun Gawli was arrested in 2006. He was a legislator from the Chinchpokli seat from 2004 to 2009.

In August 2012, the Mumbai Sessions Court sentenced him to life imprisonment in the Jamsandekar murder case and also imposed a fine of 17 lakh rupees.

Supreme Court

The Supreme Court is the highest judicial body in the United States, established in 1789 by Article III of the U.S. Constitution. It is responsible for interpreting the Constitution and has the ultimate authority over all laws within the country, most famously through its power of judicial review. Its landmark decisions on issues like civil rights and free speech have profoundly shaped American society and law.

Bombay High Court

The Bombay High Court is one of India’s oldest high courts, established in 1862 under the British Raj. Its iconic Gothic Revival building, completed in 1878, is a protected heritage site and remains a functioning seat of justice for the state of Maharashtra and the union territories of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu.

Mumbai Sessions Court

The Mumbai Sessions Court is the principal criminal court for the city, established under the Code of Criminal Procedure to adjudicate serious criminal cases. Its history is rooted in the British colonial-era judicial system, which was formalized in the 19th century. Today, it functions as a district-level court handling major offenses that carry sentences of more than seven years.

Shiv Sena

Shiv Sena is a right-wing Marathi ethnocentric regional political party and organization in India, founded in 1966 by political cartoonist Bal Thackeray. It originated on a platform of advocating for the rights and employment opportunities for the native Marathi-speaking “sons of the soil” in the state of Maharashtra. Over the decades, it has grown into a major political force, forming governments in Maharashtra and aligning with the BJP in the National Democratic Alliance.

Chinchpokli

Chinchpokli is a neighborhood in Mumbai, India, known for its famous “Chinchpokli Monkey Hill” crematorium and cemetery. The area has historical significance as a prominent final resting place, with its cemetery established during the British colonial era. It is also home to a large, well-known Ganesh temple that attracts many devotees.