Dismissed Cop Shailesh Patil, Absconding In Gangrape Case, Named In I-T Records; Alleged Custodian Of Benami Assets Linked To IPS Officers & Politicians

Mumbai, September 22, 2026: Disgraced ex-police officer Shailesh Patil, who has gone into hiding in connection with a gang rape case, has emerged in Income Tax Department records that allegedly tie him to illicit financial dealings and benami property transactions linked to senior police officials and politicians, according to sources familiar with the investigation.

The tax department's records, revealed to The Free Press Journal, reveal a complex web of financial transactions involving Patil, police officials, politicians and businessmen. A senior government official told the newspaper that Patil is believed to have acted as an intermediary, collecting and moving funds generated from illegal activities, and then funneling them through benami properties into commercial ventures linked to high-ranking police officials and bureaucrats.

Some of the senior IPS officers referenced in the tax records are currently assigned to key positions within the Maharashtra Police, while others hold influential roles as commissioners in various cities and districts across the state. Investigators allege that the financial trail of millions of rupees was uncovered during tax raids conducted at the offices of a politically connected builder based in Mumbai and Nashik a few years ago.

At those raids, investigators found documents detailing suspected unreported financial transactions, including entries involving Patil and individuals in senior police and administrative positions. The builder told investigators that Patil was not an employee but wielded influence over certain transactions due to his political connections and alleged role as an intermediary.

When questioned about the transactions involving senior police officers and politicians, the builder claimed he had no knowledge of the transactions' origins or purposes, stating he had no control over them and that his firm's accounts were used without his consent. The investigation report contains references to alleged financial dealings related to illegal gambling, sand and oil businesses, land grabbing and extortion networks.

Authorities are currently examining Patil's involvement in collecting and transferring proceeds from these activities, which were later used to purchase legitimate properties through real estate transactions and other business dealings. The records also mention alleged election-related funding involving a senior Maharashtra Cabinet minister, with multiple payments allegedly recorded under Patil's name.

The documents show that Patil allegedly provided around Rs 75 lakh to former BJP MLA Narendra Pawar, who is currently at large alongside Patil in the gangrape case, and to other political figures, according to the tax department's records.