Amid the investigation into disgraced 'godman' Ashok Kharat, a leader from the Sharad Pawar faction of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) alleged on Saturday that the arrested 'godman' had influenced Maharashtra's state cabinet.
Kharat, who is a former Merchant Navy officer, had been arrested on March 17, following accusations of rape, molestation, and cheating, which in turn have caused issues for the ruling Mahayuti alliance, which includes the Ajit Pawar faction of the NCP, on which he allegedly exerted his influence.
खरात प्रकरणाबाबत पहिल्या दिवशीच मी माझी भूमिका स्पष्ट केली आहे.त्याच्या आर्थिक व्यवहारात,त्याच्या गैरकृत्यात दुरान्वये संबंध नाही,आजही तीच स्पष्ट व ठाम भूमिका आहे.तपासादरम्यान या सर्व बाबी निष्पन्न होतीलच. खोटे,असत्य व कुठलाही पुरावा नसताना जे आरोप माध्यमांमधून होत आहेत,ते… pic.twitter.com/9awsGZmgJL
— Rupali Chakankar (@ChakankarSpeaks) March 27, 2026
While the March 17 arrest came after a woman alleged that he had sexually assaulted her over a three-year period (2022-25), reports say a case had been piling up against Kharat for months. The police probe so far has recovered 58 videos—including some explicit clips—which were saved on a pen drive.
According to the fresh allegations against Kharat by NCP (SP) leader Vikas Lawande, the disgraced godman had been in contact with the NCP's state president Sunil Tatkare in order to ensure that Manikrao Kokate, an MLA from Sinnar, was not made a minister.
"Kokate is Kharat's local MLA and the 'godman' had problems with him," Lawande claimed, as per an NDTV report.
"Kokate was a hurdle for Kharat. You won't find a single photograph of them together. Kharat made several calls to Tatkare, asking him not to include Kokate in the Maharashtra cabinet. However, since Ajit Pawar was the ultimate authority in the party, that was not possible," he added.
"Our decisions are made independently," declared NCP spokesperson Anand Paranjpe, dismissing the allegations.
"All decisions in our party were taken by former deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar. The decision regarding who would be included in the cabinet from the NCP quota was entirely his. That responsibility now rests with Sunetra Pawar," he added.
This also comes amid allegations by revenue minister and BJP leader Chandrashekhar Bawankule, who admitted recently that Kharat even had links to some officials in the revenue department, as per a Loksatta report.
The report added that the probe has already brought up the names of some officials involved in the case, and continues to find out the extent of his powerful connections.
