Gangster-turned-politician Arun Gawli, who testified in the Preeti Jain conspiracy case Tuesday, may find himself in a tight spot with the police claiming they have evidence to show that he was aware of the plot to kill film producer Madhur Bhandarkar from the day it was allegedly hatched.

Police suspect Gawli's action of informing the police was just a ploy to dissociate himself from the case as evidence shows that he was in contact with the two accused, starlet Preeti Jain and Naresh Pardesi, when they were allegedly conspiring to murder the film producer, police sources said.

• Starlet Preeti Jain gets bail

By informing policemen about the conspiracy, Gawli had portrayed himself as a peace-loving person ready to help the policemen until Pardesi revealed during a scientific test that the gangster-turned-politician allegedly accepted money from the film producer to frame Jain, the sources said.

Both Gawli and Bhandarkar have denied the information that came up during the scientific tests.

However, police officials told PTI that their suspicion that Gawli could be party to the conspiracy was based on evidence.

Meanwhile, Gawli who appeared before Assistant Commissioner of Police Manasi Mohite in central Mumbai, was being questioned till late in the afternoon.