Gawli’s bail plea rejected

At present, Gawli is detained under the Maharashtra Prevention of Dangerous Persons, Slumlords, Bootleggers and Drug Offenders (MPDA) Act at Amravati Central Jail. He was brought from there and produced before the court amidst tight security, following orders issued by Mehra on December 1, 1997.

The judge had expressed displeasure at the fact that court orders were constantly being violated. After perusing the report of the Liaison officer about his communication with jail authorities at Amravati and Arthur Road, he had remarked, “It is astonishing that despite clear orders of the court that the accused shall be produced before today, the jail authorities have not done so.”

The police and jail authorities had failed to produce Gawli in the City Civil and Sessions Court on at least four occasions despite a summons issued to that effect. They had maintained that a proper escort party was not available to bring Gawli to the city, and there were chances of untoward incidents taking place on the way.

The matter had to be adjourned thrice as the police continued to claim lack of adequate escort party which could safely bring Gawli to Mumbai. Arguing on Gawli’s behalf, lawyer Ashok Patil pleaded that his client should be discharged because the only evidence against him was a diary recovered from the pocket of the deceased Desai which mentioned the word `A G’.

Patil said the police had made out a case against him as they presumed this to be Gawli’s initials. A similar kind of evidence was also produced in the Jain hawala case, in which the accused were ultimately discharged, Patil contended. But the court felt that at this stage, Gawli’s plea for bail or discharge could not be granted.