Maharashtra Arrests Godman Ashok Kharat for Multiple Assaults

Maharashtra authorities have arrested self-styled godman Ashok Kharat in Nashik on charges of sexually assaulting multiple women over several years, using claims of divine powers and religious rituals to exploit victims. The case, which began unfolding in late 2025, has led to eight FIRs involving allegations of rape, extortion, blackmail, and black magic practices, with a Special Investigation Team now probing potential ties to government officials.

Kharat, a Nashik-based figure who presented himself as a retired Merchant Navy officer and incarnation of Lord Shankar, was taken into custody on March 17, 2026, following a complaint from a 35-year-old woman at the Sarkarwada police station. She alleged that Kharat lured her to his office in the Canada Corner building in 2022 under the pretext of performing rituals to protect her husband, administered a sedative-laced drink, and raped her repeatedly over three years while threatening her family's safety. Police searches of his properties, including a farmhouse in Mirgaon and a bungalow in Tikde Colony, yielded over Rs 6.5 lakh in cash, two laptops, a revolver with 21 live cartridges, and documents linked to assets valued at Rs...