Gawli released from jail, returns to Mumbai

Gawli released from jail, returns to Mumbai
EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE

MARCH 14: Notorious gangster Arun Gawli is back at his Dagdi Chawls hideout after he is released from Thane jail on Tuesday. He was arrested in connection with possessing two deadly sten guns.

While members of the anti-terrorist squad recovered two sten guns after raiding one of the two cellars at Dagdi Chawl in 1991, hitmen like Tanya Koli, Mohan Mali, Bandya Adilkar, Namdeo Patil, Keshav Utchil and Ganesh Bhosale were apprehended from the other underground bunker. Gawli was detained under the provision of the Arms Act.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone-II) Jai Jeet Singh told Newsline that a close watch is being kept on Gawli and Dagdi Chawl after his release from jail, added Singh.

Even if Gawli is a free man, he seldom issued threats in his own name from the Dagdi Chawls fortifications. Most of the threats were issued in the name of front man Dilip Kulkarni alias DK, who was killed in an encounter on April 22 last year.

Nevertheless, the gang have replaced Dilip Kulkani by former errand boy Dilip Kashit, who also calls him DK. Some of the victims still receive threats in the name of `DK'.

Earlier, Gawli's second-in-command Sunil Ghate was active while he was imprisoned between 1997-99. The gangster was handling gang operations after he himself surrendered to the police after Sada Pawle's death in a police encounter on September 26, 1997 and lodged at Thane Prison.

Gawli himself was active during his stint at Vadgoan Pir near Pune. Not only had he developed a sound base at Lonavala, but he was settling issues in villages in and around Pune.

Some reputed hotels, bars and social clubs cough-up between Rs 50,000 and Rs 2 lakh per month as protection money to the gang. Besides, large sums of money from union contributions.

Though the Gawli outfit has lost some of their key hitmen like Sada Pawle alias Mama, Bandya Adilkar, Namdeo Patil, Ganesh Bhosale, there are about 600-odd members still affiliated to the gang. And most of the gangsters are divided in five groups.

The groups are headed by top lieutenants, who take direct instructions from the don. Even in his absence Gawli has to keep in touch with the henchmen and not all the members, which is not difficult with the modern means of communication.

Moreover, most of the shooters are regular members of the gang and receive a stipulated amount as salary, which is contrary to the practice in other rival gangs. The rules are stringent and defaulters are dealth with severe punishments, even death.