Supreme Court Halts Arun Gawli’s Premature Release

The Supreme Court has stayed the premature release of gangster-turned-politician Arun Gawli, serving life imprisonment for a 2007 murder. Gawli had sought release under a 2006 remission policy. The state's appeal to the apex court follows the Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court's order favoring Gawli.

The Supreme Court has issued a stay on the premature release of Arun Gawli, a gangster-turned-politician currently serving a life sentence for a 2007 murder. This decision overrides an April 5 order by the Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court, which had directed state authorities to consider Gawli's application for early release under a 2006 remission policy.

Senior advocate Raja Thakare, representing the Maharashtra government, had argued that Gawli, convicted under the MCOCA provisions and serving a life term, unfairly sought the 2006 policy's benefits. Despite his claims of meeting all conditions, the state contended that newer guidelines from 2010 mandated 40 years of actual imprisonment for organized crime convicts.

The high court had, however, rejected the state's stance, asserting that the 2006 policy was intended for aged and physically weak prisoners, thus applicable to Gawli. Following the state's subsequent plea, the Supreme Court granted them time to seek an appropriate order before finalizing any release.

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