The arrest of ‘self-proclaimed godman’ from Nashik Ashok Kharat was a proactive move by the police, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said. The CM stated that authorities used a complaint from another district to issue a Look-Out Circular (LOC), ensuring that Kharat could not flee. Fadnavis stated that will make a “detailed statement” in this case today.
Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis. FILE PIC
The CM further noted that misleading women by claiming supernatural powers and subjecting them to psychological manipulation are extremely serious aspects of the case. Last week, following a complaint of sexual exploitation by a woman, Kharat was arrested by the Nashik police. The state government has since constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT), headed by IPS officer Tejaswini Satpute, to probe the case.
The case
Ashok Kharat, a self-proclaimed godman from Nashik, has been booked in multiple cases of sexual exploitation registered in the Nashik district. He was arrested on March 18 following a case registered based on a complaint filed by a woman who accused him of repeated rape over a period of three years. Investigators also found multiple videos featuring women on a pendrive in his possession. He is currently in police custody.
Political links
Followers of the self-proclaimed godman reportedly include politicians cutting across party lines, with pictures of leaders from various parties visiting Ashok Kharat surfacing and circulating widely on social media.
