- Mumbai Police forms SIT for 500-Cr audio clip probe.
- Manoj Jarange Patil denies allegations, claims conspiracy.
- Shiv Sena (UBT) seeks ED probe into alleged transaction.
500-Cr Audio Clip Row: The Mumbai Police on Monday formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) following instructions from Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to probe the case linked to an audio clip on the alleged 'Rs 500 crore' transaction involving Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange Patil.
Political Storm In Maharashtra Politics Over The Audio Clip Row
The "audio clip row" stormed Maharashtra politics as it gave the Opposition an opportunity to attack the ruling Mahayuti. The major political controversy was sparked by Maratha reservation activist Manoj Jarange Patil, who released a purported 29-minute audio recording alleging a Rs 500-crore deal. Last week, Jarange released the audio clip purportedly featuring a conversation in which it was claimed that he had been paid Rs 500 crore through Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Shinde, son of Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.
What has Manoj Jarange Said?
The activist, who has denied accepting any money, claimed a plot had been hatched against him because he was raising the issues of farmers and common citizens. He asserted that Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and his deputy Eknath Shinde must go to the root of the controversy. Alleging a plot against him, Jarange said "party funds" were used in efforts to defame him and the Maratha quota agitation.
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Eknath Shinde and Shrikant Shinde have denied the allegation that any money was routed to Jarange through them.
The Mumbai Police has formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) following instructions from Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. The SIT has been formed to investigate the allegations surrounding a ₹500 crore transaction involving Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange Patil, alongside an alleged audio recording connected to the matter
— ANI (@ANI) October 26, 2026
Shiv Sena Seeks ED Probe Into The Matter
In another development, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Monday wrote a letter to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, seeking a probe by the Enforcement Directorate into the allegations. The Rajya Sabha member said these revelations, made in the form of an audio clip by Jarange, are of extremely serious nature in many ways. However, the most shocking and serious issue is the involvement of a huge amount of Rs 500 crore, he stated in the letter.
Raut said, "It (the charges) needs to be thoroughly probed as to who gave Rs 500 crore to whom and if this money did not reach Jarange Patil, where did this money disappear? From where did such a big sum of money come from, and where did it go?" What seems to have happened is a classic case of money laundering and should be investigated as such, he added.
"These questions need to be answered immediately. For a thorough investigation into this, I request you to order the Maharashtra Police and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to investigate this matter at the earliest and bring out the facts before the people of Maharashtra and this country and arrest those involved in this scam," Raut said in his letter to Shah.
Raut Behind Audio Clip, Says BJP
On the other hand, the ruling party, BJP claimed that Raut had created the fake clip using AI to push Congress MP Rahul Gandhi's agenda and trigger a rift between the ruling allies. Raut subsequently claimed that a BJP MLC leaked the audio clip, a result of the "cut-throat competition" within the saffron party.
(With Agencies Inputs)