Special court rejects Gawli's application

Mumbai, Jul 18 (UNI) The MCOCA court today rejected the application filed by gangster-turned-politician Arun Gawli, seeking permission to attend the ongoing Monsoon Session of the Maharashtra Assembly.

Earlier, Additional Public Prosecutor Kalpana Chavan had opposed Gawli's application on the ground that he could abscond from the Assembly itself because the escort team would not be present in the house. There was no emergency-like situation like a no confidence motion on the floor of the House warranting his presence and he had already submitted his questionaire to the secretary of legislature.

Hence it was unnecessary that he should be present in the House.

Gawli, arrested under the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) for his involvement in an extortion case and murder of Shiv Sena corporator, had filed an application seeking permission to attend the current session of the state legislature.

He is at present lodged in judicial custody.

Gawli, who is chief of the Akhil Bharatiya Sena (ABS), was elected as MLA from Chinchpokhli constituency.

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