Police Custody of Kharat Extended Amid Expanding Probe

Mumbai: A Nashik court on Sunday extended the police custody of self-styled godman Ashok Kharat, who is facing eight rape cases. The prosecution sought more time, telling the court that the accused has not been cooperating with investigators. The Special Investigation Team (SIT) has reportedly received more than 100 complaints in recent days, most of them from women, through phone calls.

Public prosecutor Shailendra Bagde said the investigation is extensive, with more survivors coming forward to file complaints. So far, 10 cases have been registered against Kharat, including eight related to the abuse of women and two involving financial fraud.

“Recovering Kharat’s mobile data and tracking his movable assets is still pending. Work is underway to gather information from the forensic team; once received, a face-to-face interrogation based on those details will be required,” Mr. Bagde told the court.

The SIT also produced laptops, pen drives and documents seized from Kharat’s office.

Defence counsel Sachin Bhate opposed the extension of custody, arguing that since Kharat’s phone had already been seized and a clone copy obtained, “there is no need for further custody.”

The lawyer also argued that Kharat possessed a valid license for the revolver and since arguments regarding his assets had already been presented previously, even that should not be a ground for extending his police custody. He claimed that the police were failing to provide any concrete information.

However, a victim’s lawyer, M.Y. Kale said Kharat’s actions had devastated the survivor’s life and that extending police custody was essential for justice. After hearing both sides and considering the scope of the investigation and the gravity of the offences, the court remanded Kharat in police custody until April 1.