States » WestPosted at: Oct 26 2026 6:53PM


Maharashtra Govt sets up SIT led by IPS Shailesh Balkawade to probe alleged Rs 500-Crore audio clip

Mumbai, Oct 26 (UNI) Following directives from Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, the Maharashtra government on Monday constituted a three-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the controversial Rs 500-crore audio clip released by Maratha reservation activist Manoj Jarange Patil.
The high-profile probe will be spearheaded by senior Indian Police Service (IPS) officer Shailesh Balkawade.
The newly formed SIT will conduct a rigorous cyber and forensic examination of the audio recording made public by Jarange Patil during a press conference in Jalna. The investigation aims to ascertain the authenticity of the clip and determine whether it is genuine or an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-generated deepfake.
Apart from Balkawade, the three-member investigative team comprises Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Vijaykant Sagar and Cyber Crime Branch DCP Bajrang Sonawane.
The audio clip in question surfaced when Jarange Patil released recordings alleging that Rs 500 crore was routed through Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Shinde to influence the Maratha quota agitation.
The explosive claims drew sharp counter-reactions from the ruling alliance. Both MP Shrikant Shinde and activist Manoj Jarange Patil have strongly dismissed the bribery claims. Senior BJP leaders, including Chandrashekhar Bawankule and Ashish Shelar, as well as Shiv Sena spokespersons, have denounced the clip as a fabricated, AI-orchestrated conspiracy engineered to defame the leadership, prompting demands for a thorough judicial and forensic probe.
IPS Shailesh Balkawade, known within the Maharashtra Police cadre as an upright and dynamic officer, brings extensive operational experience to the probe. He has previously served as Superintendent of Police (SP) in sensitive districts like Kolhapur, Gadchiroli, and Jalna, alongside holding key assignments within the Pune and Mumbai Crime Branches, with a notable track record in anti-Naxal operations and major drug-cartel crackdowns.
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