Mumbai Police has constituted a Special Investigation Team to investigate allegations surrounding an alleged 500-crore rupees transaction linked to Maratha reservation activist Manoj Jarange Patil. The directive to form the investigative unit came from Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis following the emergence of a viral audio recording. The circulated clip purports that Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Shinde paid 500 crore rupees to Jarange Patil at the behest of the Bharatiya Janata Party to weaken the ongoing Maratha quota agitation, though neither the authenticity of the conversation nor the claims made within it have been independently verified.
Scrutiny of viral recording and denial of claims
The controversy gained momentum after Jarange Patil made the audio recording public, prompting sharp political exchanges across the state. The activist has firmly rejected any wrongdoing, asserting that he is being targeted because he actively raises concerns affecting farmers and ordinary citizens, while also calling for a high-level official probe. Concurrently, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and his son, Lok Sabha MP Shrikant Shinde, have categorically denied making any illicit payments to Jarange Patil or acting on behalf of political allies to dilute the reservation agitation.
The newly formed police team will focus on determining whether the circulating audio file is authentic or has been subjected to digital tampering. Investigators are tasked with identifying the individuals whose voices appear in the clip, establishing the context in which the interaction took place, and searching for corroborating material. Police officials will also review relevant banking and financial records to ascertain if any monetary trail supports the claim of a large-scale transaction or if the allegations remain unsubstantiated.
Opposition demands central financial inquiry
As the state police inquiry begins, the matter has escalated to the central level with Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Raut writing to Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday. Raut termed the allegations grave and demanded a comprehensive probe by the Enforcement Directorate to examine the purported 500-crore rupees deal. In his communication, the parliamentarian questioned the origin of such vast capital, the intended recipients, and the actual destination of the money if it had not reached Jarange Patil.
Raut argued that central financial investigators must look into the possibility of money laundering associated with the alleged payout. He urged the Union government to instruct both Maharashtra Police and central agencies to trace the end-to-end movement of the funds mentioned in the recording. While Raut has demanded scrutiny by the Enforcement Directorate, the agency has not initiated a separate investigation, and any federal intervention will depend on whether substantive evidence of financial misconduct emerges from the preliminary findings.
Broad political stakes over Maratha reservation
The unfolding controversy carries significant political sensitivity given the deep social and electoral importance of the Maratha quota issue in Maharashtra. Jarange Patil has emerged as one of the central figures driving the reservation movement, making any claim of covert financial influence a volatile political flashpoint. The opposing stances adopted by key political leaders, combined with counter-allegations of political conspiracy, have intensified public attention on the outcome of the police investigation.
At present, authorities have not confirmed any transaction or verified the truth of the allegations raised in the viral audio. The Special Investigation Team’s forensic analysis of the audio recording, its examination of bank records, and its findings regarding the figures mentioned will determine the legal course of the probe. Until verified findings are presented, the claims remain unproven allegations under active police review.
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