Police raid Dagdi Chawl

MUMBAI, JAN 16: Barely hours after gangster Arun Gawli’s key associate Santosh Adivalekar was gunned down in an encounter, police raided his Dagdi Chawl hideout this afternoon.

Adivalekar was shot dead near Sion last night. Though police sources said it was a regular combing operation, sources revealed the police were looking out for other gang members who could be in the Chawl in connection with Adivalekar’s funeral. However, no arrests have been made so far, said police.Police sources said Adivalekar’s death has come as a double blow to the Gawli outfit. Earlier, another close associate Sharad Bandve was shot dead by Assistant inspector Vijay Salaskar and his men at Borivali on January 8.The duo had formed a deadly combination and unleashed a reign of terror in Central Mumbai, and were considered to be the Gawli gang’s `money bags’, as they ran most of the extortion rackets.

A source said next on the police hit list was Gawli gang member Dileep Kulkarni alias DK.