Image used for illustration.
| Photo Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto
A court in Nashik on Sunday (March 29, 2026) prolonged the police custody of self-styled godman Ashok Kharat, arrested in a rape case, till April 1.
Kharat, who headed a temple belief at Mirgaon in Nashik district and whom a number of outstanding Maharashtra politicians visited through the years, was arrested on March 18 after a lady accused him of raping her repeatedly over three years.
Ten FIRs, eight for alleged sexual assault or exploitation and two for dishonest, have thus far been registered in opposition to him at Sarkarwada police station within the metropolis.
The Special Investigation Team (SIT), which is conducting a probe in opposition to him, has obtained greater than 100 complaints, most of them from ladies, over the cellphone in the previous couple of days, police mentioned on Saturday.
Kharat was produced earlier than the court on Sunday after the top of his earlier police custody. The court requested Kharat whether or not he had any complaints, to which he replied negatively.
During the listening to, public prosecutor Shailendra Bagde mentioned the investigation within the case was nonetheless on and the accused was not cooperating.
The inquiry into the properties of the accused remains to be to be completed. Many ladies are nonetheless coming ahead to lodge complaints and the inquiry is but to be completed into the so-called “water” or liquid that Kharat used to provide the victims to seduce them earlier than sexually exploiting them, he mentioned.
The cell phone knowledge of the accused has been scanned, and a clone report has been obtained. An inquiry is to be carried out into whether or not he saved the names of his contacts — particularly political leaders — with dummy identities, and far digital evidences are but to be checked, the prosecutor informed the court.
The case is large and others should be introduced earlier than the accused for the inquiry. Investigators even have but to find out whether or not any accomplices have been concerned within the crime. For all this, Kharat’s three day-custody is required, he mentioned.
The SIT submitted Kharat’s laptops, cell phone and a few paperwork earlier than the court.
SIT officer Kirankumar Suryavanshi additionally knowledgeable the court in regards to the investigation completed thus far and demanded extension of Kharat’s police custody.
Defence lawyer Sachin Bhate, nonetheless, mentioned the SIT was giving the identical causes that had been cited for police custody throughout the earlier listening to.
What has the SIT completed within the investigation thus far? he requested, claiming that the probe has been accomplished and there’s no motive to increase the police custody.
On the opposite aspect, lawyer M.Y. Kale, representing a sufferer, supported the prosecutor’s demand for extension of Kharat’s police custody.
The accused has not cooperated and the investigating company can’t be held liable for it, he mentioned.
“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,” Kale mentioned in his argument.
After listening to the arguments, Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (14th) MV Bharade prolonged Kharat’s police custody till April 1.
Published – March 29, 2026 02:53 pm IST
