Rohit Kumar
NEW DELHI, Mar 19: A political row has erupted in Maharashtra over the arrest of a self-styled Godman and astrologer Ashok Kharat in Nashik on a rape charge after some opposition members targeted the ruling alliance leaders for their close associations with the arrested influential astrologer.
Kharat, who is also the chairman of the Shri Shivnika Sansthan in Sinnar, was arrested in a dramatic fashion on Tuesday night for allegedly repeatedly raping a 35-year-old woman under the guise of spirituality, the police said on Thursday. The victim alleges that under the pretext of performing rituals, the 67-year-old astrologer administered an intoxicant to her, hypnotized her, and exploiting her faith sexually assaulted her repeatedly in the last two years.
The case has now also triggered a political storm. Many politicians and well-known individuals had visited the astrologer in the past. “Should the feet of those who exploit women be washed? We demand that the Deputy Chief Minister take cognizance of this conduct,” Sushma Andhare of Uddhav Thackeray’s party said. Some opposition leaders have also demanded the removal of Maharashtra State Commission for Women chairperson Rupali Chakankar, who is closely associated with the astrologer and member of a trust headed by him.
He is rumored to have political connections spanning from Delhi all the way to the corridors of power in Maharashtra. In Mirgaon, he owns the Ishanyeshwar Temple and a lavish retreat, where prominent and influential figures would frequently visit to pay their respects. As the chairman of the Shri Ishanyeshwar Temple Trust, located in Nashik’s Sinnar, Kharat was widely recognized as a spiritual guide to prominent politicians, celebrities, and business tycoons.
The police investigation has revealed that the sexual exploitation was not limited to just one woman, who was the main complainant in the case. According to the police FIR, Kharat, who refers to himself as ‘Captain’ as he is a retired Merchant Navy officer, used to summon women to his office by luring them with promises of resolving their personal problems.
Once there, he would hypnotize them by administering an intoxicant, police said. Subsequently, he would rape the women by instilling fear in them -specifically, by threatening them with the death of their husbands or by invoking the dread associated with occult practices, the police said.
The investigation has revealed that Kharat had installed hidden CCTV cameras within his office. The police have recovered a pen drive that reportedly contains video clips depicting obscene acts involving 58 different women.
The state government has constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) led by IPS officer Tejaswini Satpute, to investigate the matter. The Nashik Crime Branch Unit 1 is conducting a thorough examination of the incriminating videos and documents recovered from the accused.
The accused maintained an office named ‘Oakus Property Dealers and Developers’ in Nashik’s upscale Canada Corner locality. However, it is alleged that the business conducted was not that of real estate, but of crime. He had successfully positioned himself within society as a highly accomplished astrologer and a possessor of divine powers.
To prevent any leak regarding the impending arrest, the police team executed a highly covert operation to arrest the accused from his Nashik farmhouse. Under the cover of darkness, they police created a chaotic scene outside the accused’s residence by shouting “thief, thief.” Using this commotion as a pretext, the team gained direct entry into Kharat’s home, and before he could even comprehend what was happening, the police arrested him right from his bedroom.
During the ongoing raids, a pistol, live cartridges, and several spent cartridges were recovered from his farmhouse. An intensive search was also conducted at the temple and hermitage located in Mirgaon, yielding to the discovery of several suspicious documents. Additionally, multiple properties owned by him across Maharashtra have also come under the scope of the investigation, police said.
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