Police have registered a case against a self-styled godman from Maharashtra's Palghar district for allegedly raping a 35-year-old Pune-based woman after claiming to be an incarnation of Lord Shiva, officials said on Friday.
Self-styled godman Ashok Kharat, already facing rape charges, is now under investigation for opening over 130 accounts with cooperative credit societies and conducting transactions worth approximately Rs 63 crore.
Self-styled godman Ashok Kharat, already facing rape charges, is now under investigation for suspicious financial activities involving numerous accounts and large transactions.
Activist Anjali Damania alleges phone calls between Maharashtra politicians and a rape-accused godman, sparking controversy and raising questions about their connections.
MNS chief Raj Thackeray criticises the exploitation of women in the name of divine power, following the arrest of a self-styled godman in Nashik for rape and sexual exploitation.
The Maharashtra Congress has alleged that sensitive information related to the Ashok Kharat case is being leaked, questioning whether the state government is misusing its machinery to settle personal scores.
The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing allegations against self-styled godman Ashok Kharat has detained his son for questioning in Nashik. Kharat faces multiple FIRs for alleged sexual assault and fraud, with over 100 complaints received.
A Pune-based businessman has accused self-styled godman Ashok Kharat of defrauding him of Rs 6 crore (600,000) under the guise of helping him establish a logistics business abroad. This is the eighth case registered against Kharat, who is already in police custody on separate charges.
Rupali Chakankar, chairperson of the Maharashtra State Commission for Women, has resigned following criticism over her association with Ashok Kharat, a self-proclaimed godman accused of rape. She submitted her resignation to Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar.
Two more cases have been registered against self-styled godman Ashok Kharat, police said on Saturday, adding that the Special Investigation Team which conducting a probe against him has received more than 100 complaints over phone.
The SIT investigating self-styled godman Ashok Kharat, who faces multiple rape accusations, has made significant breakthroughs.
A court in Maharashtra's Nashik district on Thursday remanded self-styled godman Ashok Kharat to seven-day police custody in a second rape case where he is accused of sexually exploiting a woman on multiple occasions since 2020 under the guise of religious rituals.
Self-styled 'godman' and numerologist Ashok Kharat has been arrested in Nashik on charges of sexual assault and black magic, setting off a political storm. How did he manage to operate undetected for so long?
The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing allegations against self-styled godman Ashok Kharat has detained his son for questioning and is searching for his wife in connection with multiple FIRs, including sexual assault and fraud.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis addressed the state assembly regarding the arrest of self-styled godman Ashok Kharat, accused of rape, assuring a thorough investigation and protection for potential victims.
NCP leader Rupali Chakankar has resigned from her position as the party's Maharashtra women's wing chief following controversy surrounding her association with Ashok Kharat, who has been accused of rape.
The Maharashtra government sanctioned over Rs 1 crore for development works at a temple linked to Ashok Kharat, a self-styled godman accused of rape, in 2018. The funds were approved under the regional tourism development scheme. Kharat was arrested on March 18 after being accused of repeated rape.
The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing allegations against Ashok Kharat, a self-styled godman accused of rape, has received over 50 calls reporting crimes allegedly committed by him. Police have registered eight FIRs against Kharat, who is accused of sexually exploiting women and other crimes.
Rupali Chakankar, chairperson of the Maharashtra State Commission for Women, has resigned following criticism over her association with rape-accused 'godman' Ashok Kharat. The resignation comes after opposition parties highlighted Chakankar's links with Kharat, who is accused of sexual assault and fraud.
Following the resignation of Maharashtra State Women's Commission chairperson Rupali Chakankar, Congress MP Varsha Gaikwad calls for a comprehensive probe into the Ashok Kharat case, demanding investigation of all individuals allegedly linked to the self-styled godman arrested for rape.
The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing allegations against Ashok Kharat, a self-styled godman accused of rape, has received a surge of calls providing information and reporting alleged crimes after a public appeal.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has ordered a probe into the leak of call data records in the Ashok Kharat case and directed the Enforcement Directorate to investigate Kharat's assets.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has ordered a probe into the call data record (CDR) leak in the Ashok Kharat case and directed the Enforcement Directorate to investigate Kharat's assets.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sushma Andhare has called for a thorough investigation into the Ashok Kharat case, urging Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to prioritise the investigation over political manoeuvring. Andhare also demanded that the SIT probe former minister Deepak Kesarkar and former state women's commission chairperson Rupali Chakankar.
The Congress Legislature Party leader in Maharashtra raises concerns about law and order due to missing girls and the impact of unseasonal rains on farmers, criticising the government's response.
Maharashtra minister Narhari Zirwal is facing calls for his dismissal after a video showing him with a transperson went viral. The minister claims the video is doctored and a blackmail attempt, while opposition parties demand his sacking for 'obscene and unethical behaviour'.
Maharashtra minister Narhari Zirwal is embroiled in controversy after a video featuring him and a transgender person went viral, prompting calls for his removal from office.
The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing allegations against astrologer Ashok Kharat has questioned a temple priest and watchman, while further investigations reveal potential property fraud and misuse of water resources.
Opposition parties are demanding the resignation of Maharashtra State Women's Commission chairperson Rupali Chakankar due to her alleged connections with a self-proclaimed numerologist, Ashok Kharat, who has been arrested for rape and exploitation.
'There is a fortune in stolen money, counterfeit notes floating around, and political skullduggery afoot, along with treachery, double dealing, kidnapping and all manner of wickedness packing the series so densely that the pace never flags and a profusion of twists keeps the story engaging even when it strains credibility,' notes Deepa Gahlot.
The self-styled godman on the run after allegedly sexually assaulting several female students of a management institute in New Delhi, allegedly pressured them with threats of lower grades and lured them with promises of foreign trips, an officer said on Wednesday.
The seizure of the self-styled godman's phone revealed a disturbing pattern of predatory behaviour.
The Gujarat High Court dismissed a plea by Asaram's ashram in Ahmedabad, allowing the government to acquire land for sports infrastructure development ahead of the Commonwealth Games 2030.
Earlier, police froze Rs 8 crore linked to Saraswati and parked in multiple bank accounts and fixed deposits.
The armed forces of India will be wise to remember that its public interface needs to be tempered with discretion, maturity and example, keeping in mind the nation's multi-cultural and multi-religious fabric which is its greatest strength but which can also become its biggest fault-line, asserts Vice Admiral Biswajit Dasgupta (retd).
Self-styled godman Chaitanyananda Saraswati, accused of molesting 17 women students, has been remanded to judicial custody. Police have added a charge related to threatening a witness.
The father of a rape survivor has appealed to the Supreme Court to cancel the bail granted to Asaram, citing threats and concerns for his family's safety.
Asumal Sirumalani aka Asaram, the self-styled godman, who had been on a 17-day parole for treatment in Pune, returned to Jodhpur jail on January 1, 2025.
The Delhi Police on Wednesday took self-styled godman Chaitanyanand Saraswati, accused of sexually harassing 17 students of a private institute in New Delhi, to the campus for the second time and seized 'pornographic' material, a senior officer of the force, who is privy to the investigation, said.
The self-styled godman allegedly went on his criminal spree while being posted as the chairperson of a centrally approved private institute in the national capital.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances