By Admin 
Underworld don -turned -leader Arun Gawli was released from Nagpur jail on Wednesday (September 3) after getting bail from the Supreme Court in the 2007 murder case. 76 -year -old Gawli reached his residence Dagdi Chawl after being in jail for nearly 17 years, where family and supporters gave him a grand welcome.
Gawli reached Mumbai with a flight from Nagpur at around 9 pm on Wednesday night. As soon as he reached his house in Dagdi Chawl, supporters rained flowers, blowed up and distributed sweets. After being released from jail, such a welcome to a person raises many questions, in which the most question arises that how did an underworld don become a leader. Let’s know the history of Arun Gawli.
Arun Gawli comes from an ordinary family
Gangster -turned -politician Arun Gawli, known as ‘Daddy’, has been a infamous underworld don of Mumbai, who later became active in politics. Although he comes from a simple mill worker family in Maharashtra, but in the 1970s-80s, his role in Mumbai’s gang war made notorious. He was a rival of a big don like Dawood Ibrahim and made Dagdi Chawl his fort.
After entering politics, he established the All India Army (ABS) and also became an MLA. On 3 September 2025, the Supreme Court granted him bail in a 2007 murder case, after which he was released from Nagpur Central Jail after 17 years and returned to Dagdi Chawl in Mumbai.
Who in the family?
Arun Gawli’s family lives in Dagdi Chawl in Mumbai. His family was also a victim of enemy attacks like Dawood Ibrahim. Father Gulabrao used to work in Gawli Simplex Mill. Mother Laxmibai Gawli was a mill worker, who died in 2018. Bhai Kishore Gawli and Bappa Gawli were companions in the underworld, killed by Dawood’s gang. Pradeep Gawli used to work in Khatau Mill.
Arun Gawli’s wife’s name is Asha Gawli. She comes from a Muslim family. After marriage, he converted to Hinduism. The former MLA of Maharashtra Legislative Assembly (MLA) has been. She is known as the ‘mother’ of the family. Arun Gawli has five children Mahesh Gawli, Geeta Gawli, Yogita Gawli, Yatika Gawli and Asmita Gawli.
How much is Arun Gawli’s net worth?
Arun Gawli’s property is mainly from real estate. In 2008, estimated Rs 250 crore (11 buildings including Dagdi Chawl, 40 acres of land near Pune, etc.). 11 crores declared in 2014. The exact data is not available in 2025, but the property of the family is considered to be more than 250 crores.
Supreme court order
On August 28, the Supreme Court bench- Justice MM Sundaresh and N. Koteshwar Singh has granted bail to Gawli. The court said that he has been in jail for more than 17 years and his appeal is still pending.
Gawli was accused of killing Mumbai’s Shiv Sena councilor Kamalakar Jamsandekar. In 2012, the Sessions Court pronounced him and a fine of ₹ 17 lakh, which was retained by the Bombay High Court in 2019. Gawli was booked under the Maharashtra Control of Organized Crime Act (MCOCA).