Gawli’s former aide Mrigul gunned down

MUMBAI: Notorious gangster and don-turned-politician Arun Gawli's former associate Sudhakar Mrigul was gunned down in a police encounter at Kamala housing complex in Kandivali western suburbs on Tuesday.

Senior Inspector Pradeep Sharma said over telephone that a tip-off informed that wanted Mrigul was coming to Kandivali to meet some of his associates.

A police team headed by Sharma laid a trap near Kamala housing complex, and as soon as he arrived at the specified place at around 2.25 pm, police asked him to surrender.

However, when he started firing at the policemen, they retaliated, in which the criminal sustained head and chest wounds. Mrigul was then rushed to Government-run Bhagwati hospital, where the doctors declared him dead before admission, Sharma said. The deceased was earlier associated with Gawli gang, he added.

The gangster had been absconding since the last five years and was wanted in five murder cases and several other cases of extortion and attempt to murder, Sharma said.