Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had personally asked the police department to ensure videos of Ashok Kharat's sexual crimes were not further circulated on the internet. Later, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) confirmed that the said videos were removed from as many as 170 websites of pornographic nature.
In a fresh development, it has been reported that the Maharashtra Cyber Cell has registered an FIR against Ashok Kharat and others for allegedly circulating objectionable videos on social media. The case has been filed under Section 67 of the Information Technology Act ( publishing or transmitting obscene material in electronic form). The shocking report claims that the sexual assault videos were reportedly sold for sums as low as ₹15 or ₹20. In some cases, people interested in watching the videos were charged ₹20 to ₹50 per video, , TV9 Marathi said in a report. Once the payment was made, the videos were sent to the buyers.
The Maharashtra Cyber Police have been keeping a vigil to avoid further leaks of Kharat's unspeakable violence towards women online. The SIT was concerned about the mental health of many survivors who were staying indoors and seeking professional help for depression as a consequence of the video leaks.
The investigation agencies have taken action against four different social media links through which these videos were being circulated. According to available information, around 15 to 17 obscene videos related to Ashok Kharat were circulated on platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Telegram, and pornographic websites.
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Such sales of Ashok Kharat's sexual offences led to the identities of several victims being compromised, severely impacting their privacy, police said.
Kharat, currently in police custody, is facing 12 criminal cases in Ahilya Nagar and Nashik city, including eight for sexual assault. The SIT has recorded statements from 30 witnesses and victims so far, said IPS officer Tejaswi Satpute, who heads the SIT, on Tuesday.
The self-styled godman was arrested in March after a married woman accused him of raping her repeatedly over three years. A subsequent probe uncovered a host of crimes, including sexual assault and financial irregularities linked to land and other properties.
After his arrest, photos of Kharat with prominent politicians went viral, causing a political firestorm in the state.