Nagpur: Notorious gangster-turned-politician Arun Gawli, popularly known as “Daddy,” walked out of Nagpur Central Jail on Wednesday, September 3, after being granted bail by the Supreme Court in connection with the 2007 murder case of Shiv Sena corporator Kamlakar Jamsandekar recently. 

Nagpur Police escorted Gawli under heavy security arrangements to Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport, from where he is scheduled to fly to Mumbai. His release follows the Supreme Court’s directive, which ordered the bail of Gawli and others convicted in the case, subject to conditions set by the trial court.

Gawli, once one of Mumbai’s most feared underworld dons, was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2012 for the Jamsandekar killing. Despite decades of serious allegations, this case marked his first conviction. He later entered politics by forming the Akhil Bharatiya Sena, gaining support from Dagdi Chawl in central Mumbai, where he was widely referred to as “Daddy.”

During his incarceration in Nagpur, jail officials described Gawli as a disciplined inmate who maintained a low profile. He was granted around 14 to 15 paroles and furloughs, during which he abided by rules and remained engaged in prison work.

In 2018, Gawli made unexpected headlines after topping an exam on Gandhian philosophy, conducted by NGOs including Sahyog Trust, Sarvodaya Ashram, and Mumbai Sarvodaya Mandal. Scoring 74 out of 80, he stood first among 160 inmates and was awarded a certificate along with Khadi clothes.

With his release on bail, Gawli’s transformation—from underworld don to political leader, from feared figure to Gandhian exam topper—has once again put him in the public spotlight.