Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday, 26 October 2026, directed the Mumbai Police Commissioner to constitute a Special Investigation Team (SIT) and order a detailed forensic examination of controversial audio recordings released by Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange Patil, which allegedly involve financial transactions worth ₹500 crore. The directive has triggered a sharp war of words within the ruling Mahayuti alliance, pitting Shiv Sena leaders against their Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) partners.

Scope of the SIT Probe

According to the government's directives, the SIT is mandated to conduct a full forensic analysis of the audio clips to verify their authenticity, establish their origin, and identify all individuals whose voices feature in the multi-party recordings. The probe is expected to trace the chain of custody of the recordings and determine when and how they were made.

Activist Manoj Jarange Patil has said the audio content is authentic and demanded a transparent inquiry. He has offered full cooperation to the investigation but urged the government to ensure the SIT functions independently, free from political interference. Jarange Patil also questioned how certain leaders appeared to have advance knowledge of the clips before they entered public circulation.

What the Audio Clips Allege

The recordings purportedly capture conversations in which it is claimed that ₹500 crore was channelled to Manoj Jarange Patil through Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Shinde. The allegations, if substantiated, would have significant political implications for multiple factions within the coalition government. The probe was triggered following formal demands from Shiv Sena leaders, BJP representatives, and Jarange Patil himself.

Chief Minister Fadnavis raised a pointed question about timing, asking publicly why conversations allegedly recorded more than two years ago have surfaced only now, and assuring that the investigation would expose both the facts and the motivations behind the release.

Shiv Sena Alleges BJP Conspiracy Against Eknath Shinde

Senior Shiv Sena leader Ramdas Kadam alleged a coordinated conspiracy by certain leaders to politically target Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. At a press conference, Kadam directly questioned whether factions within the BJP were attempting to marginalise Shinde owing to his growing political stature. He circulated photographs purportedly showing BJP leader Prasad Lad dining with Manoj Jarange Patil, suggesting proximity between the two.

Kadam also claimed to have written separately to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Chief Minister Fadnavis, and RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat, demanding a high-level investigation into the matter. State Industries Minister and Shiv Sena leader Uday Samant, speaking in Kolhapur, similarly alleged that individuals linked to the BJP were party to the audio conversation and that the recording was crafted to defame Deputy CM Shinde.

BJP Pushes Back, Warns Against Alliance Fracture

The BJP responded sharply to the accusations. Senior BJP leader and MLC Pravin Darekar dismissed the allegations as baseless and cautioned Kadam against targeting an alliance partner. 'We are partners in the ruling alliance. It does not fit into Maharashtra's political culture to stay in the government and continuously attack your own ally,' Darekar said. He asked why the BJP would seek to undermine Shinde, noting that the party had fully backed him for chief ministership after the previous elections.

BJP MLC Prasad Lad also issued a warning, cautioning Kadam that inflammatory statements risk fracturing the Mahayuti coalition at a politically sensitive moment. This is not the first instance of tensions surfacing between Shiv Sena and BJP within the Mahayuti alliance, though the open exchanges at press conferences mark a notable escalation in tone.

Political Significance and What Comes Next

The audio clip controversy intersects with the politically charged Maratha reservation issue, which has roiled Maharashtra for years and been a pressure point for successive governments. The SIT's findings — particularly the forensic verdict on the clips' authenticity — are likely to shape the political narrative around the quota agitation and the internal dynamics of the ruling coalition. With Kadam writing to central leadership and both Shiv Sena factions publicly trading accusations, the episode threatens to test the cohesion of the Mahayuti government in the weeks ahead.