24 April,2026 04:24 PM IST | Nashik | mid-day online correspondent
Ashok Karat. FILE PIC
A court in Nashik on Friday remanded self-styled godman Ashok Kharat to police custody till Sunday in the sixth case of sexual exploitation registered against him, news agency PTI reported.
Kharat, who was arrested on March 18, is accused of sexually exploiting several women and committing large-scale financial fraud by claiming to possess divine powers and knowledge of black magic.
In the sixth case, the former Merchant Navy officer allegedly sexually exploited a young woman who had approached him seeking solutions to her personal problems.
Police said Kharat allegedly threatened the woman, warning her that he would use his "divine powers" to destroy her family. He also allegedly collected Aadhaar, PAN card and other documents of her family members.
The Special Investigation Team (SIT), probing 12 cases of sexual exploitation and financial fraud registered against Kharat in Nashik and Ahilyanagar districts, had on Thursday filed an application before the court seeking his custody in the sixth case.
Following the court's permission, the SIT took his custody and produced him before the court on Friday in the sixth case.
For security reasons, the proceedings were conducted via video conferencing, during which police sought four days of custody.
The prosecution told the court that the accused had allegedly administered a sedative to the victim mixed in water and raped her. It also said he made her perform certain rituals, and that the financial angle in the case needs to be investigated.
Kharat's lawyer Sachin Bhate argued that the police were examining the same circumstances across multiple cases and were repeating similar grounds while seeking custody in each case.
However, SIT officer Ravindra Manjre told the court that the victims and time frames were different in each case, and a dedicated team had been formed for detailed investigation.
After hearing both sides, Chief Judicial Magistrate BN Ichpurani remanded Kharat to police custody till April 26 in the sixth case.
Amid the ongoing probe into the Ashok Kharat case, Nashik Police in Maharashtra have registered an FIR against another self-styled godman for allegedly sexually exploiting a 28-year-old woman.
Though the alleged incidents took place in 2024, the woman approached police after receiving counselling from activists of the anti-superstition organisation Andhashraddha Nirmoolan Samiti (ANS), an official said.
Based on her complaint, police on Wednesday registered a case against Maheshgiri alias Mahesh Dilip Kakde (31).
According to the complaint, the woman had been facing personal problems, following which her parents took her to a mutt known as Prati Gangapur at Dharangaon (Khadak) village near Lasalgaon.
The accused, who allegedly claimed to possess divine powers, told the family that the woman had been affected by "Karni" (black magic) and asked them to perform certain rituals, the official said on Thursday.
Police said Kakde later allegedly began sending obscene messages to the woman, took her to a lodge in Nashik city and sexually exploited her.
The woman further alleged that the accused clicked objectionable photographs of her and threatened her with dire consequences if she complained to police.
(With PTI inputs)
