Mumbai police Friday said they wanted a lie detector test done on gangster-turned-politician Arun Gawli because he was a suspect in the alleged conspiracy by actress Preeti Jain to kill film-maker Madhur Bhandarkar.

• Preeti Jain admits to having paid money to kill Bhandarkar

During the hearing on a plea by Gawli challenging the scientific lie-detector tests planned by police, a division bench consisting of Justices D G Deshpande and M V Kanade was told that the police wanted to conduct the tests as prima facie material was available against him showing his active participation in the conspiracy.

The court, after taking the note of the police statement, directed them to produce the material available against Gawli and specify the reasons for conducting the tests.

Preeti Jain is currently out on bail after her arrest on charges of hiring a member of the Gawli gang to kill Bhandarkar whom she had earlier accused of rape.