Shiv Sena leader’s murder: Arun Gawli gets life imprisonment
Arun Gawli, convicted in the murder of Shiv Sena corporator Kamlakar Jamsandekar has been awarded a life sentence by a special Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) court. The gangster turned politician and 11 others were convicted for the murder Jamsandekar last week.
Ten others were also awarded life imprisonment in the case while accused Sunil Ghate was convicted only under Arms Act and has been sent to three years’ rigorous imprisonment.
Special MCOCA court judge Prithviraj Chavan, while pronouncing the judgement here, also imposed a fine of Rs 17 lakhs on Gawli, failing which he will have to undergo an additional three-year imprisonment.
The court also sent Gawli to ten-year imprisonment each for being a member of the organised crime syndicate and extortion.
While pronouncing the sentence, judge Chavan said “Instead of death I am giving you life imprisonment.”
This is Arun Gawli’s first ever conviction. The gangster turned politician has close to 50 criminal cases against him. The prosecution said Gawli was paid Rs 30 lakh for the contract killing of Jamsandekar. According to police, the contract of killing Jamsandekar was allegedly given by accused Sahebrao Bhintade and Bala Surve, who were reportedly his (Jamsandekar’s) rivals in construction business and the local politics.
It was Gawli’s own men that turned against him, ensuring his arrest in 2008 and his conviction last week. Interestingly, Gawli’s party, the Akhil Bhratiya Sena, backs the Shiv Sena-BJP coalition in the Brihan Mumbai Corporation.
The court also convicted eleven others accused while the sentence will be pronounced on August 27. One of the accused, Bala Surve, died during trial, while three accused were acquitted for lack of evidence.
Jamsandekar was shot dead in March 2008 at his Asalpha residence in suburban Ghatkopar. Gawli was arrested on May 21, 2008 and has been in custody since then.
On October 7, 2010, the court had framed charges against Gawli and other accused under MCOCA, sections 302 (Murder), 34 (common intention) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of IPC, while Gawli and others had pleaded innocence.
The crime branch had said that the other reason why Jamsandekar was executed was that Bintade and Surve were eyeing a plot at Saki Naka in suburban Mumbai and Jamsandekar reportedly “refused to cooperate”.
According to prosecution, Jamsandekar was murdered at the behest of Gawli, who had, along with the co-accused, conspired to execute him.
The chargesheet said that a sum of Rs 30 lakh was paid to the Gawli gang for the job. The trial had commenced from October 2010.
