Mumbai, October 26: The Mumbai Sessions Court has denied anticipatory bail to gangster Arun Gawli’s son, Mahesh Gawli, in connection with a ₹1.04 crore cheating case registered at the NM Joshi Marg Police Station.
The case was filed by Naina Devlekar, who alleged that her acquaintance, Bhakti Kandarkar, lured her into investing in a firm by promising a 10% monthly return. Bhakti’s husband, Akshay Kandarkar, reportedly made similar assurances. Persuaded by their repeated follow-ups, Devlekar invested over ₹1 crore, but soon payments were defaulted and cheques issued by the accused were dishonoured due to insufficient funds.
Investigations revealed that out of the invested amount, ₹48.50 lakh was used in a proposed land deal in Oundhe village, Lonavala. An agreement-cum-MoU for the same land was also signed between Devlekar’s husband and Mahesh Gawli. Authorities found that ₹13 lakh from the invested funds was transferred to Mahesh’s bank account.
While seeking pre-arrest bail, Mahesh claimed he had no role in the transaction between the complainant and the Kandarkars. However, the court observed inconsistencies and noted that power of attorney documents linked the property to Mahesh and his family members, including his father, Arun Gawli.
The court stated that, given the magnitude of the investment and the suspicious financial dealings, Mahesh’s presence was essential for further investigation, and therefore rejected his anticipatory bail plea.
