Gawli fears his freedom most

Thursday, May 8 1997

Gawli fears his freedom most

Shashank Mhasawade

Arun Gawli....freedom beckons.

May 7: Arun Gawli probably wonders whether he should be relieved or worried. Though the Nagpur bench of the Mumbai High Court has given him his freedom, that's precisely where all his troubles lie. Gawli had been safely and comfortably operating from different jails in the state since 1990. It gave him many advantages.

First, it was not as far as Malaysia, Dubai, Karachi or London. Other gangsters operating from these places had serious communication problems but not Gawli. Secondly, there was no fear of being killed in an encounter with the police, as happened with Amar Naik. Third, he was also safe from rival gangsters. Fourth, being in jail, there was no evidence to prove his involvement in any crime. Finally, the police could not raid the jail or pick him up for interrogation.

Gawli enjoyed all these privileges and nurtured his operations. And he was so desperate to hold on to this arrangement that he refused to come out of jail though he got bail last year. He told the court that he preferred to remain behind bars. Now, with the order for his release, Gawli has suddenly been rendered vulnerable. His attempt to enter politics failed this year when he could not effectively use the Akhil Bharatiya Sena during the recent civic elections. Now he faces the wrath of Bal Thackeray for threatening Shiv Sena candidates.

With the security of jail removed, what happened with Amar Naik can happen to Gawli any time. He cannot summon either his gang members or businessmen to Dagdi Chawl as the place will be kept under vigil by the police. Further, Gawli's trusted aide and next-in-command, Sadamama Pawle, is on the verge of quitting the gang and forming his own. Pawle's personal supervision of the Vallabhbhai Thakkar murder points to this.

Gawli's days are numbered, according to a police officer. ``We will be keeping a watch on his movements. The police will trap him at the first opportunity,'' he said. The crime boss too must be aware of the fragility of his freedom.