Jadhav, a videographer and family friend of Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray, was shot dead by two unidentified assailants near his residence on April 30, 1996. Gawli had earlier sought discharge from the sessions court trying the Jayant Jadhav murder case on the ground that he was in Aurangabad jail when the crime was committed and hence the prosecution had no evidence against him.

However, Additional Sessions Judge R S Dave rejected his application on January 12 this year. Gawli then moved the High Court challenging the lower court's order. Gawli's counsel, Sudeep Pasbola, argued before the High Court that his client was being falsely implicated in the crime. Additional Public Prosecutor, RajivPatil, submitted that the victim's brother Vivek and his friend Onkar Thakur had witnessed the murder. Based on their version, seven persons had been arrested by Criminal Investigation Department police.

During interrogations, he said, police learnt that Lalit Shah and Prahlad Jadhav used to meet Gawli regularly during his confinement in Aurangabad prison and that the trio had hatched a conspiracy to kill Jadhav because of his proximity to the Thackeray family.