Rs 500 crore audio clip row: Mumbai Police form SIT to probe recordings released by Manoj Jarange Patil

Mumbai Police have constituted a Special Investigation Team SIT to conduct a detailed and impartial probe into an audio clip released by Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange Patil during a press conference in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar on October 22According to an order issued by Mumbai Police Commissioner Deven Bharti on Monday the audio clip mentions several individuals and refers to the exchange of certain sums of moneyThe SIT has been formed following directions from Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra FadnavisIt has been formed to conduct a forensic examination of the audio clip carry out other related technical investigations and investigate the matter thoroughly and impartiallyAdditional Commissioner of Police Shailesh Balkawade South Region Mumbai will head the SIT Deputy Commissioner of Police Vijaykant Sagar South RegionIII and Deputy Commissioner of Police Bajrang Bansode of the Mumbai Crime Branchs Cyber unit will be members of the teamThe order directs the SIT head to appoint additional officers as required for the investigation and keep the authorities informed about the progress of the probe from time to timeRs 500 crore audio clip row triggers political controversy in MaharashtraThe recordings have triggered a political controversy in Maharashtra over allegations of transactions worth Rs 500 croreThe alleged conversations claim that the money was delivered to Jarange Patil through Shiv Sena MP Shrikant ShindeThe allegations have not been established and the recordings are to be examined as part of the investigationThe SIT will examine the authenticity of the recordings trace their origin and identify the voices heard in the conversations The demand for a probe has come from leaders of the Shiv Sena and the BJP as well as Jarange Patil who has urged the government to ensure that the investigation proceeds independently without political interference He has also offered to cooperate with the probeSenior Shiv Sena leader Ramdas Kadam has alleged a conspiracy by certain leaders to politically target Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde He has questioned how some leaders allegedly knew about the audio clips before they were released publicly Kadam also questioned whether elements within the BJP were attempting to marginalise Shinde and demanded clarity on who within the ruling alliance was working against himKadam circulated photographs purportedly showing BJP leader Prasad Lad dining with Jarange Patil He also claimed to have written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi Union Home Minister Amit Shah Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat seeking a highlevel probe into the matterBJP and Shiv Sena leaders trade allegations over audio clip rowState Industries Minister and Shiv Sena leader Uday Samant echoed Kadams concerns in Kolhapur alleging that individuals linked to the BJP were involved in the conversations He claimed the recording was part of a conspiracy to defame Shinde who he said had handled the Maratha reservation issue sensitively and supported the communitys demandsThe BJP rejected the allegations BJP MLC Pravin Darekar warned that his party would not tolerate what he described as baseless accusations from Kadam ldquoWe are partners in the ruling alliance It does not fit into Maharashtrarsquos political culture to stay in the government and continuously attack your own allyrdquo he said Darekar questioned why the BJP would seek to undermine Shinde pointing out that the party had backed him for the chief ministers post after the previous elections BJP MLC Prasad Lad also cautioned Kadam against making statements that could fracture the Mahayuti allianceFadnavis questioned why conversations allegedly dating back more than two years had surfaced at this juncture and assured that the investigation would uncover the truth about the recordings and the individuals involvedWith IANS inputs