Gangster-turned-legislator Arun Gawli and one of his associates were on Monday arrested in Mumbai on charges of assaulting and threatening a journalist.

Gawli and Sunil Ghate were later released on bail on a surety of Rs 3,000 each, police sources said.

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Two other associates of Gawli were on Sunday arrested on the same charges and released on bail, the sources said.

Journalist Mateen Hafeez had filed a complaint saying that Gawli slapped him and his men assaulted him when he went to interview the legislator at his Dagdi Chawl residence in central Mumbai.

However, Gawli, the legislator from Chinchpokli, lodged a complaint alleging that the journalist was carrying a sharp knife when he came to interview him.

Gawli's men took Hafeez to a police station saying he carried a knife. Hafeez was detained and asked to show his identity.

Hafeez alleged he was frisked by Gawli's men on the ground floor of Gawli's residential building and allowed to go upstairs, where he met Gawli.

However, Gawli got upset over his questions and allegedly slapped him. Later, his men bashed him up, the journalist alleged.

This is second incident of Gawli's face-off with journalists. Earlier, he was charged with threatening a woman journalist but was discharged as the scribe did not come forward to tender evidence against him during the trial.