A Nashik court on Sunday extended police custody for disgraced 'godman' Ashok Kharat to April 1, as the number of FIRs registered against him have grown to 10.
Kharat—whose links to several leaders in Maharashtra's political circles is gradually coming to light—had been arrested on March 17 after a woman accused him of repeated rape over a three-year period.
He was produced before the Nashik court on Sunday after the end of his previous police custody period.
Of the ten FIRs registered against him so far at the Sarkarwada Police Station, eight have alleged sexual harassment while the other two accuse him of cheating.
The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the case has also received more than a hundred calls—mostly from women—complaining against him. These complaints have added to the investigation, with some likely to add to the list of FIRs piling up against the disgraced 'godman'.
According to public prosecutor Shailendra Bagde, Kharat had not been cooperating with the SIT, which is yet to investigate the liquid that the 'godman' used to give the victims to seduce them before sexually exploiting them, he said. The former Merchant Navy officer is also known to have offered the victims drugged prasad.
The probe into disgraced 'godman' Ashok Kharat after his March 17 arrest due to alleged rape, molestation, and cheating, continues to uncover his deep connections.
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With revelations of his political contacts slowly coming out—especially the Opposition's allegations of his influence on state cabinet decisions via the Ajit Pawar faction of the NCP, as well as his alleged connections with some revenue ministers—the SIT is also probing whether he had saved the names of his contacts under false identities.
Other digital evidence related to the allegations are also being probed. So far, about 58 videos—including some explicit clips—which were saved on a pen drive have been recovered.
While defence lawyer Sachin Bhate claimed that the SIT was citing its previous reasons again in its request for police custody extension, the public prosecutor noted that the scale of the case and an investigation into accomplices warranted the three-day extension.
M.Y. Kale, another lawyer representing one of the victims, also said that the SIT could not be held responsible for Kharat not cooperating.
"These allegations and crimes are very heinous and anti-social. They have the potential to devastate families and impact society at large. Therefore, considering the intricacy of the allegations, the demand for the police custody should be considered," he noted.
