The Supreme Court has granted bail to Arun Gawli regarding the 2007 murder of Shiv Sena corporator Kamlakar Jamsandekar. Gawli, who is known both for his criminal background and his political career, was charged under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act, 1999 (MCOCA). Justices M.M. Sunderesh and N. Kotishwar Singh issued the bail order, taking into account that the plea had been before the court for over seventeen years. The final hearing date is set for February 2026. The Supreme Court had previously intervened in June 2024, to halt the Bombay High Court’s decision to grant Gawli early release, a stay that was later extended. Gawli argued that the state’s denial of his request for premature release was unfair, and should be overturned. The Maharashtra government opposed his plea in the High Court. The High Court initially ordered authorities to act within four weeks but later allowed the government more time to challenge the decision. The High Court then extended the deadline for implementing the premature release order. Gawli was arrested in 2006 and was later sentenced to life in prison by a Mumbai Sessions Court in August 2012, after being convicted of Jamsandekar’s murder.
