Beed: In a dramatic twist to the controversy surrounding a viral audio clip from Beed District Jail, the inmate at the centre of the storm, Azhar Pathan, has made a complete U-turn. Pathan now claims that his initial recorded statements, which included sensational allegations of an assault and a ‘supari’ (contract killing) plot against Maratha activist Manoj Jarange, were made under extreme duress.
An audio clip went viral on Tuesday, triggering massive political and social outrage. In the clip, Pathan was heard alleging that he was assaulted by another inmate, Prateek Ghule, over seating space in jail. More alarmingly, the recording suggested a conspiracy to assassinate Jarange, sparking angry protests from various quarters.
However, on Wednesday, a second audio clip and a formal statement from Pathan emerged, effectively debunking his previous claims. In a written application addressed to the District Jail Superintendent, Pathan alleged that a jail staffer and two other individuals pressured him into recording the first clip.
“I was forced to provide false information to malign Walmik Karad’s (prime accused in the murder of Massajog sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh) reputation and to garner political sympathy for the Massajog sarpanch elections,” Pathan reportedly stated in his clarification.
The Beed jail administration, which has come under intense scrutiny following the security breach, conducted an internal probe and reviewed CCTV footage.
Jail officials stated that the incident described in the first clip was “minor” and did not match the gravity of the allegations.
Pathan has officially submitted in writing that he has no grievances or complaints against the "Karad gang".
The names of the individuals allegedly involved in orchestrating the recording, including the jail staffer, have been forwarded to the court and senior prison authorities.
The flip-flop has raised serious questions about the internal security of the Beed facility and how mobile phones or recording equipment are being accessed behind bars. Prison authorities have assured that strict action will be initiated against the guilty parties based on the directives of senior officials.
While the immediate threat of a conspiracy against Jarange appears to have been fabricated, the incident has highlighted the volatile intersection of prison politics and local electoral rivalries in the region.
