Political friction has intensified in Maharashtra as Shiv Sena (UBT) Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut has dispatched an official letter to Union Home Minister Amit Shah. In the communication, he has pressed for a high-level investigation by the Enforcement Directorate into financial transactions and a viral audio clip associated with Maratha reservation movement leader Manoj Jarange Patil, pointing to alleged discrepancies involving Rs 500 crore.
Details of the letter to the Home Minister
Raut noted in his letter that Manoj Jarange Patil made startling revelations on October 20. According to those statements, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde had allegedly collected Rs 500 crore from senior leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party core team in the state, with the understanding that the money would be funneled through his son and MP Shrikant Shinde to Jarange Patil, though the funds reportedly never reached him.
Assembly elections context and audio evidence
The correspondence further highlights that these transactions were allegedly orchestrated right before the 2024 Maharashtra assembly elections with the intent of silencing dissent and neutralizing the ongoing Maratha reservation campaign. The lawmaker emphasized that the audio clip released by Jarange Patil raises alarming questions, particularly regarding the sheer scale of the financial magnitude involved in the episode.
Call for thorough financial investigation
Raising pertinent questions about the missing funds, Raut asked who handed the massive amount to whom and where the money disappeared if it failed to reach its intended recipient. Describing it as a textbook case of money laundering, he urged the central leadership to direct the Maharashtra Police and the Enforcement Directorate to uncover the truth and take legal action against everyone culpable.
Comparison with past investigations
Drawing parallels to substantiate his demand, the parliamentarian recalled the March 2021 incident when former Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh leveled unverified allegations against former state home minister Anil Deshmukh, prompting swift federal action and subsequent arrests. Raut argued that since the current controversy features concrete audio evidence, it warrants an even more rigorous application of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.
