Mumbai: Senior Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Monday defended the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) investigation into allegations that Rs 500 crore was paid to Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange. Raut has written to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, demanding an immediate high-level investigation by the ED and Maharashtra Police and calling for the invocation of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in connection with the alleged payout.
In a two-page letter, Raut referred to an audio clip released by Jarange Patil on October 20, in which the activist allegedly made claims about the money, describing it as clear and undeniable proof.
The Sena (UBT) leader urged Shah to direct both the Maharashtra Police and the ED to thoroughly probe the source of the Rs 500 crore fund and trace its movement, uncover how senior BJP members, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Dr Shrikant Shinde were allegedly connected to the alleged financial scam, arrest those involved and bring the complete truth to light.
“The Rs 500 crore matter in Maharashtra must have surely reached you by now. Until now, the BJP has been buying MPs, MLAs, political parties and elections. Now it has begun buying agitations as well. The BJP handed over money to Shrikant Shinde so that Rs 500 crore could be given to Manoj Jarange Patil. Where did this money come from? And did it actually reach Jarange or not? This is a matter under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). Kindly entrust the investigation to the Enforcement Directorate (ED),” Raut said in his post on X.
Jarange Patil released an audio recording featuring a purported conversation about a Rs 500 crore payout. The audio clip allegedly suggests that the funds were meant to influence or end the Maratha reservation agitation ahead of the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly elections, with references to Shrikant Shinde. Both Eknath Shinde and Shrikant Shinde have denied the allegations, while Jarange has maintained that he did not receive any money and claimed that the situation was part of a plot against his movement.
Meanwhile, the Mumbai Police has constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate the audio clip released by Jarange Patil. The development follows instructions from Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
The SIT has been tasked with examining the recording and conducting a comprehensive inquiry into the allegations. It will be headed by Shailesh Balkawade, Additional Commissioner of Police, South Regional Division, Mumbai.
The investigation will focus on examining the recording and the references to individuals and alleged financial transactions contained in it. Further findings will be required to determine the authenticity and context of the recording and establish whether any wrongdoing occurred, police said.
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