Mumbai: ‘Parole’ man Arun Gawli now out for wife’s ear surgery

Gangsterturnedpolitician Arun Gawli seems to be on a roll After remaining out of jail on parole and furloughs for almost a year since 2015 the diminutive lsquoDaddyrsquo of Dagdi Chawl has now secured a 45day parole for his wifersquos ear surgeryClad in white kurta pyjamas and a cap Gawlirsquos terror continued for almost three decades during which he was arrested many times but could not be convicted as witnesses often turned hostileGawlirsquos downfall started after his men shot dead Shiv Sena corporator Kamlakar Jamsandekar on March 2 2007 The don was arrested on May 21 2008 and was handed a life sentence by a MCOCA court in 2012In the past five years the lifer is out of jail for 311 days through four furlough breaks and five parole pleas This is excluding his latest parole granted to him by the Nagpur bench of the Bombay High CourtSupreme Court advocate Utsav Bains said furlough is remission of the sentence to ensure a prisoner retains social relations ldquoParole may be denied if the competent authority is satisfied on valid grounds that release of a prisoner on parole would be against the interest of society or prison administrationrdquoldquoEvery time the parole was granted by the High Court onlyrdquo the former gangsterrsquos daughter Geeta Gawli told midday justifying the leaveOn December 26 2020 the 65yearold gangster who is doing his time in a Nagpur jail filed a parole application for the surgery of his wife who is suffering from Chronic Suppurative Otitis Media to the left earOn January 18 the prison superintendent called for a report from the Assistant Commissioner of Police Agripada division in Mumbai ldquoHis wife suffers from illness as mentioned in the application and Mumbaibased Jaslok hospital has recommended her to undergo surgery But the son and other relative of the Gawli are capable of taking care of herrdquo said the ACP Ravindranath Pawar in his report to the prison authorityThe report also cited a case against Gawlirsquos wife Asha when he was out on parole April 17 and 25 2018 ldquoHe Gawli is a leader of syndicate and involved in a number of criminal activitiesrdquo reads the police reportActing on the report the prison authority rejected Gawlirsquos plea prompting him to move the HC ldquoIf he Gawli is released on parole leave there is danger to the complainants and witnesses in the case registered against his wiferdquo the prison authority told the courtThe HC then granted a 45day parole to Gawli under Rule 19 of Prisons Bombay Furlough and Parole Rules 1959 which cites ldquoserious illness or death of any member in the family or a nearest relative or a pregnant woman prisoner for deliveryrdquo as key reasons for reliefRetired ACP Suresh Walishetty said hardened criminals generally give serious excuses to avail parole or furlough and enjoy the period as holiday ldquoThere was a time when Gawli felt safe inside prison as he was leading a rival gang of Dawood Ibrahim He would run a darbar inside jail But now most of the time he wants to remain out on parolerdquo Walishetty saidFormer top prison officer Meeran Borwankar said ldquoThe police report was against the grant of parole to Gawli But if HC intervened and granted it the police and prison authorities have to comply Judiciary can overrule an executive decision regarding a prisonerrdquoAfter walking out of jail Gawli was seen celebrating his birthday with his men amid the background music of Dons title songBorwankar added ldquoThere are various professional policing methods to keep a check on his activities during parole which I am sure police will resort tordquoGawlirsquos lsquoPFrsquo accountParole5 breaks 199 daysFurloughFour each 28 112 daysTotal 311 days