Arun Gawli walks out of prison after 18 years of incarceration

In its bail order passed on August 28, a Supreme Court bench of justices MM Sundresh and N Kotiswar Singh noted that Gawli had been in jail for over 17 years and his appeal was still pending. The bail would be subject to conditions imposed by the trial court, it said. “Accordingly, the trial court set the conditions and issued a release order on Tuesday,” said advocate Mir Nagman Ali, who represented the former gangster.

The Nagpur Central Jail administration maintained secrecy around Gawli’s release, taking extra precautions to avoid untoward incidents. “After completing all legal formalities, Gawli was released around 12.30 pm on Wednesday,” said Vaibhav Agey, superintendent of Nagpur Central Jail.

As Gawli stepped out of the jail, he was greeted by his family members, relatives, supporters and lawyer, who were waiting outside. Amid tight security, Gawli was taken to the Nagpur airport, from where he left for Mumbai on a flight.