Arun Gawli arrested in alleged extortion case

MUMBAI: Gangster-turned-politician Arun Gawli was arrested for his alleged involvement in an extortion case on Monday. Last month, police had nabbed his younger brother Vijay Ahir and booked him in the same case.

���After verifying the details of the case, we have established that the extortion was asked on behalf of MLA Gawli on the basis of which we have arrested him,��� joint commissioner of police (crime) Rakesh Maria said. Gawali heads the Akhil Bharatiya Sena and represents the Byculla constituency.

Gawli���s younger brother Vijay Ahir (35), Dinesh Narkar (23) and Sudhir Ghorpade (40) were arrested by the city police crime branch on Monday morning, Mr Maria said. According to the police, Vijay Ahir and two associates had allegedly extorted money from a builder on an earlier occasion, which had been paid.

When they sought more money from him again three to four months ago, the builder filed a complaint with the police. This led police to Ahir and later Gawli was arrested on Monday. He was later produced before a local court which remanded him to police custody till May 2.

Arun Gawli, clad in white kurta-pyjama and a Gandhi cap, was produced by the police before additional chief metropolitan magistrate RV Sawant-Waghule after medical examination at a hospital here. The details of the court proceedings are not available as the judge did not allow waiting mediapersons to be present inside the court room. Ahir and Gawli stay in the Dagdi Chawl in Byculla.