Mumbai, April 6 Activist Anjali Damania claimed on Monday that she used an Artificial Intelligence-based large language model (LLM) called Claude to analyze the call data records (CDR) of arrested self-proclaimed godman Ashok Kharat.
Addressing a press conference here, Damania, while asserting that she would never engage in any illegal activity, criticized Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis for indulging in "politics of convenience".
Damania, who claimed she obtained the CDR via WhatsApp from a person claiming to be a private detective, is facing criticism from opposition parties who have demanded an inquiry into how she obtained it. Fadnavis has said that the matter will be investigated.
"I used the AI LLM, Claude, to determine which person received how many calls from Kharat's mobile phone. I never engage in any illegal activities. I verified the Excel data using the AI tool before sharing the information with the authorities," Damania said.
She has claimed that 17 calls were exchanged between Kharat, who has been in jail since March 18 for rape, and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde during an unspecified period. She has also named other leaders, including NCP's Rupali Chakankar and Sunil Tatkare, as well as BJP's Chandrakant Patil and Ashish Shelar.
Damania further claimed that SMS alerts related to transactions in the Samata Credit Cooperative Society showed an unusual spike around the time of an alleged accident involving Ajit Pawar, a reference to the then deputy CM's death in a plane crash on January 28. She alleged that 17 messages were received on January 27, followed by 19 the next day, and several more in the following days, which she claimed was not the usual pattern.
According to Damania, the messages indicated deposits or withdrawals in Kharat's account, and she urged investigating agencies to determine the nature of these transactions, alleging a possible connection between the financial activity and the incident involving Pawar.
"It is pointless to contact Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on this issue, as he is only indulging in politics," Damania said.
"He is involved in politics of convenience. In the Parth Pawar's Mundhawa land case, he (CM) sat on the report for nearly three months. It was released on the last day of the budget session. These people only engage in politics; there is no point in meeting them. I have faith in DGP (Director General of Police) Sadanand Date," Damania said.
Speaking about how she obtained the CDR, Damania said she received it from an unidentified individual who claimed to be a private detective.
"Activists are sometimes used in this manner to bring such information into the public domain. I have submitted the material to the police and have requested a thorough investigation," she told reporters.