Forensics match voice in audio clip to Radheshyam Mopalwar

In what may add to the woes of beleaguered bureaucrat Radheshyam Mopalwar, a forensic probe has matched his voice with that in the audio clips in which 'financial matters' were being discussed.

Highly-placed sources told DNA that Mopalwar's voice samples had tallied with those in the clips submitted to the forensic science laboratory in Mumbai for testing.

During the monsoon session of the legislature, an audio clip wherein the senior IAS officer was allegedly mediating a land deal involving underhand payments had come to came to light. In the clip, a voice, purportedly that of Mopalwar, is heard seeking Rs 1 crore and making references to money to be paid in the state administrative headquarters of Mantralaya.

This led to the Opposition going in for the jugular in the state legislature. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had announced that Mopalwar would be shunted out as the Managing Director of the Maharashtra State Roads Development Corporation (MSRDC) pending an inquiry. Subsequently, complainant Satish Mangle with whom the alleged conversations had taken place, was arrested by the Thane Police for trying to blackmail and extort money from the controversial bureaucrat.

A government official claimed that the laboratory had found that voice samples of Mopalwar and Mangle matched those in the two tapes. "The laboratory has submitted the report to the three-member committee," he added.
When contacted, Mopalwar said he was unaware of the forensic report and hence declined to comment.

In a related development, Thane Police on Tuesday applied Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) against Satish Mangle and others alleged involved in the crime.

On November 3, Thane Police had arrested Mangle and his second wife Shraddha for allegedly demanding extortion of Rs 7 crore from Mopalwar. Next day, the police had arrested Mangle's alleged associate Atul Tawde in the said case.

"On November 12, complainant Mopalwar received a phone call from gangster Ravi Pujari who told him to withdraw his case against Mangle and demanded Rs 7 crore extortion from him. Pujari also threatened to kill Mopalwar and his family if the extortion is not given. After it got established that the said offence is committed by the organised crime syndicate of gangster Ravi Pujari, sections of MCOCA has been applied against the accused," a press release issued by Thane Police stated.

The official said that the committee, which is headed by former chief secretary Johny Joseph and includes additional commissioner of police RD Shinde and DCP Parag Manere, had asked the laboratory if the clips were authentic or if the conversations were edited.

"The clips provided to the laboratory were the ones that were aired on television channels. The laboratory said it cannot verify the authenticity of the clips but stated that the voice samples of Mopalwar and Mangle matched with those in these two clips," he added.

The terms of reference of the committee include examining if the voice on the tapes is that of Mopalwar and if the charges are linked to Mopalwar's position as the MSRDC chief. A committee member said the case against Mopalwar hinged on the laboratory's report.

As the managing director of the Corporation, Mopalwar was in-charge of implementing the Fadnavis' pet project — the Rs 46,000 crore and 700-km Mumbai-Nagpur Samruddhi Expressway.

"If the forensic report on the audio clips comes positive then it will be an information sufficient enough to file an FIR under Prevention of Corruption Act against Mopalwar. The state Anti-Corruption Bureau or Mumbai Police can file an FIR in the matter and initiate probe," said former IPS officer turned lawyer, YP Singh.