Nashik, May 13 (IANS) The Special Investigation Team on Wednesday said that self-styled godman Ashok Kharat used claims of “divine powers” and death threats against victims’ families to facilitate sexual exploitation. Evidence suggests the accused used sleight-of-hand tricks under the cover of darkness at the Ishaneshwar Temple complex to foster a false belief in his supernatural abilities.The accused allegedly leveraged the religious sentiments of victims, using items like pebbles and rud…
Latest Ashok Kharat News & Updates
Mumbai, April 30 (IANS) Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday sought to clarify the state’s evolving political dynamics, the stability of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) led by Ajit Pawar, and ongoing high-profile investigations.Addressing the functioning of the ruling alliance, the Chief Minister took a firm stand on the issue of party defections. Amid speculation over possible crossovers, he said that while the BJP would support the NCP (Ajit Pawar faction), its doors…
Nashik, April 17 (IANS) The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday conducted fresh search operations in connection with a money laundering case involving Nashik-based self-styled godman Ashok Kharat, officials said. He is also facing serious allegations of sexual exploitation of women and financial fraud in the name of spirituality.According to ED sources, the agency carried out raids at Kharat’s commercial premises, known as the Oaks Property Office, located in the Canada Corner area of Nashik….
Mumbai, April 11 (IANS) The Shiv Sena (UBT) on Saturday flagged what it described as the rise of a “new breed” of Hindutva proponents in Maharashtra whose outrage, it alleged, is guided more by political convenience than consistent moral standards.In an editorial published in party mouthpiece Saamana, the Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray-led faction referred to the recent discourse in Nashik surrounding allegations of “Corporate Jihad”, wherein Muslim employees of a multinational IT firm were …
Nashik, April 3 (IANS) A major financial scam has come to light during the ongoing investigation into self-styled godman Ashok Kharat. He is already facing serious allegations of sexual exploitation of women and financial fraud in the name of spirituality.Preliminary findings have revealed that Kharat allegedly opened more than 130 fake bank accounts during 2021–22, say crime branch officials. These accounts were created in the names of different individuals, and were used to facilitate transa…
Mumbai, April 1 (IANS) Maharashtra’s Women and Child Development Minister Aditi Tatkare on Wednesday described the incidents involving self-styled godman Ashok Kharat as “extremely heinous and condemnable.” She emphasised that there is no room for supporting such actions and aligned herself firmly with the state government’s official position.“Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has already established a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe this matter. The SIT is headed by an…
Mumbai, March 25 (IANS) Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday mocked claims made by alleged fraudulent figures, including self-styled astrologer Ashok Kharat, saying that if black magic actually worked, the world would look very different.“If problems could truly be solved through black magic, we would have appointed Ashok Kharat as a security adviser to Donald Trump. Instead of using advanced drones, we could have fought wars with lemons and chillies. We could have elimina…
Mumbai, March 24 (IANS) Congress Legislative Party Leader Vijay Wadettiwar on Tuesday launched a fierce attack on the MahaYuti government during last week’s motion debate, citing the collapse of law and order, rising atrocities against women, the drug menace, and the spread of superstition. He expressed his outrage, stating that the prestige of progressive Maharashtra has been tarnished by this government and that “democracy is being murdered” in the state.Wadettiwar alleged that in the progress…
Mumbai, March 24 (IANS) Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, on Tuesday, assured the State Assembly that “no one, regardless of their status or political affiliation, will be spared” in the investigation involving self-styled godman Ashok Kharat. The Chief Minister said this includes potential investigations into “high-ranking government officers” (IAS and IPS) and politicians, who allegedly provided Kharat with protection or patronage.The case, which surfaced in March 2026, has sent sh…
Buldhana, March 24 (IANS) The Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee chief, Harshwardhan Sapkal, on Tuesday said that the kind of disturbing discourse triggered by the fraud self-styled godman Ashok Kharat case is not good for Maharashtra. He demanded additional support for the Special Investigation Team (SIT), the formation of a task force, and strict action against the accused to bring the case to a conclusion.“Around Diwali, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had received information about th…