The police arrested a self-styled godman and seven of his associates in Pune for allegedly sexually assaulting, physically torturing and financially exploiting a woman over several years under the guise of possessing divine powers, officials said on Thursday.
A Mumbai court granted anticipatory bail to a 21-year-old law student, Abhay Pratap, accused of selling obscene videos of self-styled godman Ashok Kharat online. The court noted the videos were already publicly available, deeming custodial interrogation unnecessary.
The Maharashtra government has suspended Deputy Collector Abhijit Bhande-Patil for his alleged links with self-styled godman Ashok Kharat, who was arrested in March on rape and financial irregularity charges.
A self-styled godman in Maharashtra's Dhule district has been arrested for allegedly strangling a woman after she resisted his sexual assault attempt and subsequently killing her male friend at his ashram.
The Maharashtra government has suspended a deputy collector for his alleged links with self-styled godman Ashok Kharat, in the first such crackdown on officials after the case rocked the state earlier this year.
A self-styled godman, Ashok Kharat, and his aide, Namkarn Avare, have been remanded to 14-day judicial custody in Nashik following accusations of rape and alleged financial irregularities.
Self-proclaimed godman Ashok Kharat, accused of portraying himself as Lord Shiva and using black magic to extort money from victims, has been arrested by the Enforcement Directorate.
Pune Police have registered a case of abetment against an unidentified godman in connection with the alleged suicide of a 25-year-old music student in Pune. The student, Renuka Harshvardhan Likhite, was found dead in her hostel after transferring money to the godman for occult rituals.
The Special Investigation Team (SIT) has filed a charge sheet against self-proclaimed godman Ashok Kharat in two of the 17 cases registered against him, accusing him of sexual harassment. The SIT cyber team has removed thousands of objectionable videos related to the cases, and multiple police departments are investigating the various charges against Kharat.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has arrested self-styled godman Ashok Kharat, accusing him of systematic extortion and money laundering through a network of bank accounts. Kharat allegedly rotated over Rs 47 crore of ill-gotten money through 60 bank accounts, deceiving devotees by claiming divine powers.
A special court has granted the Enforcement Directorate (ED) permission to arrest self-styled godman Ashok Kharat in connection with a Rs 70 crore money laundering case. Kharat, already facing rape and fraud charges, was produced before the Special PMLA Court on a production warrant from Nashik jail.
A court in Nashik remanded self-proclaimed godman Ashok Kharat in police custody until May 4 in connection with a case of cheating a Pune-based businessman of over Rs 5 crore.
Self-styled godman Ashok Kharat, already jailed for alleged rape and fraud, has been arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with a Rs 70-crore money laundering case. The arrest follows court approval and is part of an ongoing investigation into a large-scale extortion racket.
A special PMLA court in Mumbai has remanded self-styled godman Ashok Kharat to the custody of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) until May 26 in connection with an alleged Rs 70 crore money laundering case.
NCP leader Rupali Chakankar appeared before a special investigation team (SIT) for questioning regarding her alleged association with self-styled godman Ashok Kharat, who is under arrest in rape and sexual exploitation cases. Chakankar, who resigned as the state women's panel chief, has pledged full cooperation with the probe.
Shirdi police have taken custody of self-styled godman Ashok Kharat as part of an investigation into a cheating case involving Rs 5 crore. The case was registered based on a complaint by a farmer, and Kharat will be produced in court. This is the ninth case against Kharat, who is also being investigated for sexual exploitation and money laundering.
A 37-year-old self-styled godman was arrested in Mumbai for allegedly cheating several people by claiming to possess divine powers and performing 'aghori' rituals.
Self-proclaimed godman and astrologer Ashok Kharat has been remanded to judicial custody until May 12 in connection with an eighth case of sexual exploitation. The Special Investigation Team (SIT) is investigating a total of 12 cases of sexual exploitation and financial fraud registered against Kharat.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has requested a special PMLA court in Mumbai to issue a production warrant against Ashok Kharat, a self-styled godman-cum-astrologer, who is accused of rape and fraud and is currently in police custody in Nashik district, in connection with a money laundering case.
A court in Nashik has remanded self-styled godman Ashok Kharat to police custody until April 26 in connection with the sixth case of sexual exploitation registered against him. Kharat, already arrested on March 18, faces multiple accusations of sexually exploiting women and engaging in financial fraud by exploiting his claimed divine powers.
Maheshgiri alias Mahesh Dilip Kakde, who claimed to have divine powers, allegedly told them that she had been affected by 'Karni' (black magic) and asked them to perform certain rituals, an official said.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has approached a special PMLA court in Mumbai seeking a production warrant against Ashok Kharat, a self-styled godman and astrologer, in connection with a money laundering case linked to rape and fraud allegations.
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.
The death of a close associate of jailed godman Ashok Kharat in a car accident has prompted suspicion from opposition leaders, who question whether the incident was orchestrated to suppress facts in the probe against Kharat.
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.
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.
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.
Mumbai Congress president Varsha Gaikwad has called for a thorough investigation into the Ashok Kharat case, focusing on the leak of victim videos and call detail records. She raised concerns about women's safety and potential political involvement.
Activist Anjali Damania used AI to analyse call data records of a self-styled godman, claiming potential links to political figures and unusual financial activity.
The sister of NCP leader Rupali Chakankar is being questioned in connection with the alleged use of her bank account by arrested self-styled godman Ashok Kharat, who is accused of financial irregularities and land grabbing.
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 sister of NCP leader Rupali Chakankar was questioned by police regarding her alleged connection to the financial dealings of arrested self-styled godman Ashok Kharat.
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.
Police in Nashik have registered a new case of cheating against astrologer Ashok Kharat, who is already in custody for alleged sexual exploitation and fraud. The latest accusation involves Kharat allegedly cheating his former Chartered Accountant of Rs 8.76 crore.
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.
The SIT investigating self-styled godman Ashok Kharat, who faces multiple rape accusations, has made significant breakthroughs.
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.
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.
