Court sends godman Ashok Kharat to judicial custody till May 12

A Nashik court remanded self-styled astrologer Ashok Kharat in judicial custody till May 12 in the seventh sexual exploitation case against him. The SIT is investigating multiple allegations of sexual abuse and financial fraud linked to the accused across Nashik and Ahilyanagar districts

Nashik: A Nashik court on Wednesday remanded self-styled astrologer-cum-godman Ashok Kharat in judicial custody till May 12 in the seventh case of sexual exploitation registered against him.

Kharat allegedly sexually exploited several women and indulged in large-scale financial fraud by claiming to have divine powers and knowledge of black magic.

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In the seventh case, he is accused of sexually exploiting a married woman who had approached him in search of solutions to her family problems.

The accused allegedly gave the woman something to drink, sexually assaulted her while her husband sat outside his office, and threatened to kill her if she told anyone about it.

On Monday, the court sent Kharat into the custody of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) till Wednesday in this case.

He was produced before the court on Wednesday at the end of his police custody.

Due to security reasons, the court proceedings were held through video conferencing.

During the hearing, the police sought judicial custody for Kharat. Later, the court remanded him in judicial custody till May 12.

Kharat has been at the centre of a political firestorm, as he was well-connected. His photographs with political leaders and other prominent members of society have surfaced since his arrest on March 18 after a woman alleged that he had repeatedly raped her for three years.

The SIT is conducting a probe into 12 cases of sexual exploitation and financial fraud registered against him in Nashik and Ahilyanagar districts.