The Supreme Court has upheld its decision to stay the premature release of gangster-turned-politician Arun Gawli. Gawli, currently serving life imprisonment for murder, will remain in custody. The Court had previously stayed a High Court order that had granted a premature release.
The bench, led by Justice Suryakant, declared that they would not grant any interim relief. The interim stay remains in effect. During the hearing, Gawli’s lawyer argued that Gawli suffers from heart and lung diseases. The court responded with a reference to a famous line from the film Sholay, implying that not everyone can receive special treatment.
The Maharashtra government opposed extending Gawli’s interim bail, highlighting that Gawli faces 46 criminal cases, including 10 related to murder. The government’s lawyer noted that Gawli has been imprisoned for 17 years and, under the current release policy, cannot be considered for release before serving at least 40 years.
Nitya Ramakrishnan, representing Arun Gawli, argued that the state’s release policy changed in 2015, after Gawli’s 2009 sentencing. She contended that Gawli should be evaluated under the old policy, given his age and health conditions.
Earlier, on April 5, the Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court had instructed the state government to review Gawli’s application for premature release under the 2006 remission policy.
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