Lockdown: HC extends gangster Arun Gawli’s parole by five days

The parole leave was, however, extended for a period of seven days due to the coronavirus-induced nationwide lockdown.

The Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court on Friday extended convicted gangster Arun Gawli’s parole by five days and directed him to get a travel permit from the police to surrender before the Nagpur Central prison. A division bench of Justices S B Shukre and A S Kilor directed Gawli to seek permission from the concerned police authorities to travel from Mumbai to Nagpur amid the COVID-19 lockdown and surrender before the Nagpur Central prison.

His advocate Mir Nagman Ali informed the court that as per an order passed by another bench of the HC last week, Gawli had appeared before the authorities at Taloja Prison in Navi Mumbai to surrender. However, the prison authorities had refused to admit him in view of the COVID-19 pandemic, Ali said. After hearing Gawli’s application seeking more time to surrender, the court said, “We are of the opinion that one last opportunity should be granted to the applicant (Gawli).” The bench directed Gawli to file an online application to the concerned police authority seeking permission to travel from Mumbai to Nagpur within a day.

“The concerned authorities shall within a period of one day then grant permission to the applicant to travel from Mumbai to Nagpur. The applicant shall then surrender before the Nagpur prison within three days thereafter,” the bench said. The court further clarified that if Gawli files another application seeking more time to surrender citing the COVID-19 pandemic or the lockdown, the same shall not be entertained. Gawli, who is serving a life sentence in a 2008 murder case, was lodged at the Nagpur Central prison. He was granted parole on March 13 to attend to his ailing wife Asha and was supposed to surrender on April 27.

The parole leave was, however, extended for a period of seven days due to the coronavirus-induced nationwide lockdown. On May 8, the period was extended for another seven days and Gawli then approached HC seeking further extension till May 31. On May 22, the court refused to grant him more time and directed Gawli to surrender at Taloja Prison in Navi Mumbai.