The woman gathered the courage to file a complaint following the recent arrest of former Merchant Navy officer and self-styled godman Ashok Kharat in Nashik, an official said
The Manikpur police registered a Zero FIR on Wednesday and transferred the case to the Hadapsar police station. Representational Pic
The recent arrest of Ashok Kharat reportedly gave courage to a woman to file a complaint against a self-styled godman in Maharashtra's Palghar district, reported the PTI.
She alleged that the self-proclaimed godman had allegedly raped her.
He has been booked for allegedly raping the 35-year-old woman after posing as an incarnation of a deity, police said on Friday, as per PTI.
The woman gathered the courage to file a complaint following the recent arrest of former Merchant Navy officer and self-styled godman Ashok Kharat in Nashik, an official said, according to the PTI.
The police said that the woman first came into contact with the accused through Facebook in 2023. In December that year, he visited the woman in Pune and allegedly deceived her by claiming he was an incarnation of Mahadev and that she was his “Parvati,” as per the FIR.
As per the news agency, the complainant alleged that the accused took her to a lodge in Pune’s Manjari area, where he administered a numbing substance before raping her. He also allegedly took photographs of her without her knowledge during the assault.
Blackmailed using pictures
Police said the accused later used these photographs to blackmail the woman. In May last year, he allegedly called her to a hotel in Vasai and attempted to sexually assault her again.
Senior Inspector Hiralal Jadhav of Manikpur police station said the woman decided to come forward after the Nashik “Captain” Kharat case gave her the courage to speak out, PTI reported.
Since the primary offence took place in Pune, the Manikpur police registered a Zero FIR on Wednesday and transferred the case to the Hadapsar police station for further investigation.
A zero FIR allows a complaint to be filed at any police station, irrespective of jurisdiction, and is later transferred to the appropriate authority.
The woman has also alleged that the accused lured and sexually exploited several other women using a similar modus operandi. Police said efforts are underway to apprehend the accused.
Temple linked to Ashok Kharat received over Rs 1 cr from Maharashtra govt
Meanwhile, the ongoing probe has revealed that a temple associated with the arrested self-styled godman Ashok Kharat received more than Rs 1 crore in government funding under a Maharashtra tourism scheme in 2018, according to official records, reported news agency PTI.
The development comes amid an ongoing investigation into serious criminal allegations against Kharat, including rape charges filed earlier this month.
Funds Approved Under Tourism Development Scheme
As per official documents, administrative approval of Rs 1.05 crore was granted on March 31, 2018, for development works at the Shri Ishanyeshwar Devasthan temple in Sinnar, Nashik district, reported PTI.
The funds were sanctioned under a regional tourism development scheme by the state’s tourism and cultural affairs department, which was then headed by Jaykumar Rawal.
Out of the total sanctioned amount, Rs 25 lakh was released during the 2017–18 financial year.
(With PTI inputs)
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