Mumbai Police formed a Maharashtra SIT on October 26, 2026, to investigate allegations concerning a purported Rs 500 crore payment to Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange Patil. Jarange has denied receiving any money and called for an investigation.

Maharashtra SIT to examine recordings

The three-member special investigation team was formed on the instructions of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. It will be led by Shailesh Balkawade, additional commissioner of police for Mumbai’s South Region, and will conduct a forensic examination of audio recordings presented by Jarange.

The purported clip alleged that Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Shinde paid Jarange Rs 500 crore at the behest of the Bharatiya Janata Party to weaken the Maratha reservation movement ahead of the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly elections. The allegations have not been established.

Political demands and competing allegations

Jarange had requested an SIT investigation and urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to intervene. The purported recording has also prompted a political row in Maharashtra.

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut wrote to Union Home Minister Amit Shah seeking an Enforcement Directorate investigation. BJP spokesperson Navnath Kamal Uttamrao Ban accused Raut of creating the purported clip using artificial intelligence.

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