Ashok Kharat Sexual Abuse Case: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has seized valuables worth more than ₹1 crore from a locker at a Nashik-based co-operative bank registered in the name of self-styled godman Ashok Kharat and his wife, Kalpana Kharat. The action comes as part of an ongoing investigation under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), with officials identifying the assets as alleged proceeds of crime. The seized items, recovered on Tuesday in the presence of the couple’s daughter, include gold jewellery worth ₹1.10 crore, cash of $5,500 (valued at ₹5.19 lakh at current exchange rates), and silver jewellery worth ₹1.89 lakh.
ED Seals Locker, Assets Worth ₹2.4 Crore Seized
The ED had earlier sealed the locker located at the Vishwas Cooperative Bank’s Mumbai Naka branch in Nashik in April. In the same month, the agency carried out extensive searches at multiple premises linked to Kharat, his relatives, and associates across Nashik, Pune, and Shirdi.
During these operations, officials froze bank funds worth approximately ₹2.4 crore, seized ₹42 lakh in cash, and recovered around 90 property documents. According to the ED, these properties are collectively valued at several crores. Authorities also confiscated a luxury Mercedes-Benz SUV allegedly linked to Kharat.
Ashok Kharat Extortion Case Based
The money laundering probe stems from a First Information Report (FIR) registered by Nashik police in March. The complaint alleges that Kharat extorted ₹4–5 crore from a businessman over multiple pretexts between 2018 and 2019.
The complainant, who is involved in the real estate and construction sector, further alleged that Kharat pressured him into transferring ownership of his luxury car worth ₹90 lakh in 2018.
Allegations of Fraudulent Spiritual Practices
Investigators suspect that substantial sums were deposited into nearly 60 bank accounts allegedly controlled by Kharat at a Nashik-based co-operative credit society. The ED is currently examining all financial transactions, including deposits and withdrawals, linked to these accounts at Samatha Nagri Sahakari Pathsanstha.
Officials also allege that a close aide of Kharat would accompany account holders during cash deposits, indicating coordinated financial movement.
The ED has further found that Kharat allegedly sold ordinary objects to his followers at inflated prices, claiming they were blessed items with divine healing powers. According to officials, funds collected through such practices, along with alleged extortion proceeds, were later used to purchase multiple land parcels.
Ashok Kharat Sexual Assault Allegations
Kharat was arrested last month on charges of sexually abusing the pregnant wife of a former employee who worked as an office boy. The arrest followed a complaint lodged by the victim’s husband on March 21.
The complainant alleged that Kharat gained the woman’s trust by claiming supernatural and divine powers. He then allegedly summoned her to his office in the city, where she was given intoxicating drinks before being sexually assaulted. The victim has alleged that the abuse continued from 2022 until December 2025.
Ashok Kharat, a retired merchant navy officer, later reinvented himself as a spiritual figure associated with numerology, cosmology, and spiritual guidance.
He serves as the president of Shri Shivnika Sansthan, the trust that manages the Ishanyeshwar Mahadev temple, which he founded at Mirgaon in Nashik.
Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin
