Sanjay Raut demands ED probe into ₹500 crore Manoj Jarange payout claims
Synopsis
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut has written to Home Minister Amit Shah demanding an ED investigation into allegations that ₹500 crore from BJP's Maharashtra core team was routed via Dr Shrikant Shinde to silence Manoj Jarange Patil's Maratha reservation agitation before the 2024 state polls — money that, according to Jarange Patil's own audio clip, never actually reached him.
Key Takeaways
Sanjay Raut wrote to Union Home Minister Amit Shah on 26 October demanding an ED and Maharashtra Police probe.
Manoj Jarange Patil alleged on 20 October that ₹500 crore was taken by Deputy CM Eknath Shinde from BJP core team leaders in Maharashtra.
The funds were allegedly meant to be passed via Dr Shrikant Shinde (MP, son of Eknath Shinde) to silence Jarange Patil's agitation before the 2024 Assembly elections .
Raut alleged the money never reached Jarange Patil, raising questions about the funds' whereabouts.
Raut cited an audio clip by Jarange Patil as evidence and invoked the PMLA framework.
Neither the BJP , Eknath Shinde, nor Dr Shrikant Shinde had publicly responded to the allegations as of reporting time.
Shiv Sena (UBT) Member of Parliament Sanjay Raut on Monday, 26 October wrote a two-page letter to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, demanding an immediate high-level investigation by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Maharashtra Police into allegations that ₹500 crore changed hands to suppress the agitation of Maratha reservation activist Manoj Jarange Patil ahead of the 2024 Maharashtra state Assembly elections. Raut also called for the invocation of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in the matter.
The Core Allegation
According to Raut's letter, Manoj Jarange Patil had alleged on 20 October that Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde received ₹500 crore from the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) core team leaders in Maharashtra. The funds were reportedly meant to be routed through Dr Shrikant Shinde — MP and son of Eknath Shinde — to Jarange Patil, ostensibly to halt his agitation before the state polls. Raut alleged that the money never actually reached Jarange Patil, raising pointed questions about where the funds went.
Raut cited an audio clip released by Jarange Patil as what he described as 'clear and undeniable proof' of the alleged transaction. The veracity of the audio has not been independently verified.
The ED Precedent Raut Invoked
Drawing a pointed parallel, Raut highlighted that the ED moved with 'great alacrity' in March 2021 when then-Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh levelled allegations of a ₹100 crore collection target against then-Home Minister Anil Deshmukh — even before formal proof was submitted. Raut argued that the current allegations, backed by audio evidence and involving a sum five times larger, warrant at least the same urgency from central agencies.
This comparison is politically loaded: the Deshmukh investigation occurred when a BJP-aligned government was at the Centre and a rival Maha Vikas Aghadi government was in Maharashtra — a context critics say influenced the ED's speed at the time.
What Raut's Letter Asked For
In the letter to Amit Shah, Raut urged the Union Home Minister to direct both the Maharashtra Police and the ED to: probe the origin of the ₹500 crore and trace its full financial trail; establish how senior BJP leaders, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, and Dr Shrikant Shinde are allegedly connected to the funds; and arrest those responsible while placing the complete facts before the public.
Raut's Public Statement on X
Separately, Raut also posted his position on social media platform X, stating: 'The ₹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 ₹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).'
Notably, neither the BJP, Eknath Shinde, nor Dr Shrikant Shinde have publicly responded to the specific allegations as of the time of reporting. The ED has not announced any action on the matter.
Wider Context
The allegations surface at a politically charged moment, with Maharashtra having recently concluded the 2024 Assembly elections. The Maratha reservation agitation led by Jarange Patil was one of the most disruptive political pressures on the ruling Mahayuti coalition in the run-up to the polls. If the alleged ₹500 crore payment was designed to neutralise that agitation, it would represent a significant escalation in the intersection of protest politics and political funding — a concern that legal experts say falls squarely within PMLA's scope if funds are proven to have moved illicitly.
How central agencies respond to Raut's formal demand letter will be closely watched, given the opposition's longstanding charge that investigative bodies are selectively deployed against political opponents.
Point of View
He is essentially daring the ED to prove it applies the same zeal to BJP-linked allegations as it did to MVA-era ones. The absence of any response from Eknath Shinde or Dr Shrikant Shinde is conspicuous, and the unverified audio clip is a weak evidentiary anchor for a PMLA invocation. The deeper story here is structural: that cash allegedly flowed to neutralise a mass agitation before an election signals how deeply money politics has penetrated even social-movement spaces — a pattern that no single FIR will resolve.
NationPress
26 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the ₹500 crore allegation at the centre of Sanjay Raut's demand?
Maratha reservation activist Manoj Jarange Patil alleged on 20 October that Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde received ₹500 crore from BJP core team leaders in Maharashtra, intended to be routed via Dr Shrikant Shinde to Jarange Patil to halt his agitation before the 2024 state Assembly elections. Jarange Patil claims the money never reached him.
What action has Sanjay Raut formally demanded?
Raut has written a two-page letter to Union Home Minister Amit Shah demanding that both the ED and Maharashtra Police immediately investigate the source and trail of the ₹500 crore, establish the alleged links of BJP leaders and the Shindes to the funds, and invoke the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
Why did Raut bring up the Anil Deshmukh–Param Bir Singh case?
Raut drew a parallel to March 2021, when the ED moved quickly on allegations of a ₹100 crore collection target against then-Home Minister Anil Deshmukh, even before formal proof was available. He argued that the current allegations — backed by an audio clip and involving a sum five times larger — deserve at least equivalent urgency from central agencies.
Has the ED or the BJP responded to the allegations?
As of the time of reporting, neither the BJP, Deputy CM Eknath Shinde, nor Dr Shrikant Shinde had publicly responded to the specific allegations. The ED has not announced any action or investigation into the matter.
What is the significance of the Maratha reservation agitation in this context?
The Maratha reservation agitation led by Jarange Patil was one of the most significant political pressures on Maharashtra's ruling Mahayuti coalition ahead of the 2024 Assembly elections. If proven, an alleged ₹500 crore payment to neutralise the agitation would represent a serious intersection of political funding and protest politics with potential PMLA implications.
