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Mumbai:(Midday)Gangster-turned-politician Arun Gawli’s son Mahesh married Krutika Ahir in a ceremony held at Mahalaxmi Racecourse. Gawli, wife Asha, daughter Geeta were present for the festivities. Arun Gawli was granted a 15-day parole to attend the wedding, which took place yesterday.

Gawli was sentenced to life imprisonment in a 2008 murder case, and was released from Nagpur Central jail after the Bombay High Court granted him permission to attend the ceremony. As per the court order, Gawli will have to report to Agripada police station for one hour on alternate days.

Nearly 100-150 police officers from the Mumbai Crime Branch kept a close watch on all the attendees in an attempt to find out the people who are close to the former don and also get a handle on the underworld’s forever-changing equations. The Haldi ceremony was held on May 8 at the Gawli residence in Dagdi Chawl. A team of officials from the Special Branch and the Crime Branch kept vigil at the venue to monitor the list of guests arriving at the wedding and maintain records of all the criminals who were present.

One of the high profile invitees included Mumbai Police Commissioner Rakesh Maria himself.

Arun Gawli had come into the limelight in the late 80s and 90s. He allegedly killed several businessmen, Shiv Sena leaders, and mill leaders. He has around 25 cases of kidnapping and extortion against him and had taken on Dawood Ibrahim after the killing of his close aide Satish Raje. Gawli was famous for operating from his mansion in Dagdi Chawl in Saat Rasta, which policemen and rival gangsters were afraid to enter at one point.