In light of the report that came out regarding immorality perpetrated in the name of religion and the exploitation carried out under the guise of faith, the state government has swung into action to get to the bottom of it and punish the culprit. Vowing toughest measures against the nefarious deeds committed by Ashok Kharat, a fraudulent baba from Nashik who hid behind the veil of spirituality, Chief Minister and Home Minister Devendra Fadnavis has unequivocally demonstrated that there is no place for such activities in Maharashtra. Breaking away from the traditional reactive approach of acting only upon receipt of a formal complaint, the police undertook a proactive strategy of gathering evidence to nab the offender under the instruction of the Home Department. This campaign has further reinforced the spirit of duty, security, and the rule of law in the state under the Fadnavis government.
No Place for Malicious Practices in Maharashtra
The resolute steps taken by the State Government against the sinful activities of Ashok Kharat, a self-styled godman and a charlatan from Nashik, have sent ripples across the country, resonating even within the State Legislature. Following Kharat’s arrest by the police on the strength of substantial evidence, Chief Minister and Home Minister Devendra Fadnavis addressed the Legislative Assembly in detail regarding this matter, issuing a stern warning that such malicious elements would find absolutely no sanctuary in Maharashtra. The exploitation and fraud perpetrated against women by Ashok Kharat, carried out under the guise of spirituality, along with his blatant disregard for the law, constitute an extremely grave offence. To ensure his arrest and trial, the police executed a meticulously planned operation under the direct instruction of the Home Minister. This premeditated action has spread a shock wave to the criminals and their syndicates, serving as a strong deterrent to them if they seek to exploit superstition within the state. Recognizing the critical nature of the crime, the police, without waiting for a formal complaint, garnered evidence against Ashok Kharat before they get destroyed, so once he is arrested the police can provide enough evidence to ensure his conviction in the court with exemplary punishment under the appropriate legal sections against charges of rape, fraud, and other serious offenses. Furthermore, to curb the future incidents of bhondu baba cases in Maharashtra, strict provisions of the ‘Maharashtra Prevention and Eradication of Human Sacrifice and other Inhuman, Evil and Aghori Practices and Black Magic Act‘ have also been invoked against Kharat, who shamelessly toyed with the faith of common citizens by falsely projecting himself as the godman.
The Home Minister has granted the police administration an absolute go-ahead to investigate and ensure that Kharat’s criminal network is completely dismantled and the women victimized by him received justice. Simultaneously, to safeguard the identities of the victims, efforts are underway to remove their photographs and videos from across social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Furthermore, notices have been issued to news channels that published reports to reveal the victims’ identities and cease any reporting that could lead to the identification of the victims.
Under the leadership of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, the state police force has started operating in a proactive manner, showing no leniency toward anyone found shielding such fraudulent ‘Babas’ (spiritual charlatans). Moreover, Devendra Fadnavis has ordered that charges be framed against anyone attempting to exert political pressure to interfere with this investigation. Such decisive actions clearly demonstrate the State Government’s policy of ‘zero tolerance.’ It is widely acknowledged that this transformation in the police department’s operational methodology is a direct result of the resolute leadership of Home Minister Devendra Fadnavis. Speaking in the Legislative Assembly, the Chief Minister emphatically said that whenever individuals with criminal tendencies, such as Ashok Kharat, perpetrate anti-social acts under the guise of religion and faith, it becomes the State Government’s solemn duty to stand firmly in support of the common people. The Chief Minister further gave an assurance that wherever instances of such heinous practices or exploitation come to light within the state, the government will take strictest actions to bring the culprits to justice.
Home Minister Devendra Fadnavis’s Proactive Policing!
Even before the Ashok Kharat case surfaced to become public knowledge, the police, instructed by the home ministry, had already initiated an investigation into the matter in a highly confidential manner. This case was not limited merely to fraud; rather, there was intelligence suggesting the existence of a larger criminal and financial racket operating behind it. This led to the police department’s move on gathering evidence in this case with the utmost discretion.
The air around the self-styled godman including his luxurious lifestyle and association with high-profile people had already kept him under surveillance of the Intelligence Department. However, they were very cautious, not letting even a hint of it go public, which would have resulted in destruction of evidence and Kharat leaving the country. Meanwhile, a complaint of extortion of money was lodged by Ashok Kharat himself, and that gave the Nashik police a formal invitation to get into the case and probe deeper. The police gathered intelligence regarding Kharat’s money trails that channelized money from illegal transactions into his trust.
Home Minister Devendra Fadnavis handled this case with great restraint, with utmost care about identity and safety of the victimized women and preempting the political ramifications of the matter. It was precisely because of his proactive actions that it became possible to put an end to the nefarious activities of this fraudster without any public uproar. This case from Nashik is a testimony to the high efficiency and tech-saviness of the state police and a stable law and order in the state without any political bias. It sends a stern message of zero tolerance to the crimes against women in the state and warning to the fake babas trying to deceive people.
Stages of the ‘Bhondu Baba’ Ashok Kharat Case
December 29, 2025:
Ashok Kharat himself lodged a complaint at the Wavi Police Station in Nashik. Through this complaint, he alleged that a man named Dinesh Parab was demanding a ransom of ₹5 crore from him. Parab was threatening to make certain compromising photos and videos of Kharat go viral if the payment was not made. Consequently, a case was registered against Dinesh Parab and Rajendra Jasud in connection with this matter.
February 18, 2026:
A woman in Shirdi filed a complaint alleging that a man named Neeraj Jadhav was threatening her with circulating fake obscene photos of her. Based on this complaint, a case was registered against Neeraj Jadhav. While the police were searching for Neeraj Jadhav in connection with this case, a witness named Yogesh Bhalerao presented 35 videos—featuring approximately eight different women—to the investigating officers. These videos contained compromising footage of Ashok Kharat with the women.
March 10, 2026:
The Home Department issued a lookout notice against Ashok Kharat to prevent him from fleeing the country.
March 13, 2026:
On March 13, 2026, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) was constituted to investigate serious crimes registered at the Wavi and Shirdi police stations. Both investigations were transferred to the SIT.
March 17, 2026:
On March 17, 2026, a 35-year-old woman lodged a complaint at the Sarkarwada Police Station in Nashik. The complaint alleged that Ashok Kharat had deceived the woman and subjected her to torture by administering sleeping pills under the pretext of performing religious rituals. (She had been raped multiple times between 2022 and 2025). Based on this complaint, Ashok Kharat was arrested from his residence in Nashik on March 17, 2026.
March 18, 2026:
Considering the gravity of the matter, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis entrusted the investigation of the case to Senior IPS officer Tejaswi Satpute.
March 19, 2026:
A raid was conducted at the office of ‘Oaks Properties,’ located at Canada Corner, which belonged to Kharat. During the raid, the police recovered a pen drive, a pistol, and ammunition. The pen drive was found to contain over 58 incriminating videos.
March 24, 2026:
Chief Minister and Home Minister Devendra Fadnavis provided detailed information regarding the Ashok Kharat case through a statement delivered in the Legislative Assembly. To date, eight cases have been registered against Kharat. Of these, seven cases are being investigated by the SIT, while one case is being investigated by the Nashik Crime Unit. Kharat is not merely a fraudster; he is also suspected of having amassed assets worth crores of rupees. This aspect of the case is currently being investigated by the Income Tax Department (IT) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
March 26, 2026:
The Nashik Court has extended Kharat’s police custody until March 29, 2026.
April 9, 2026:
The Shirdi Police have issued a notice to Pratibha Chakankar—sister of Rupali Chakankar, the former Chairperson of the State Women’s Commission—regarding a case involving suspicious financial transactions at the Samata Patasanstha in Ahilyanagar district. The investigation revealed that suspicious transactions totaling ₹2.4 crore were done involving the accounts of the Samata Patasanstha in the names of Pratibha Chakankar and her children. However, speaking to the media, Pratibha Chakankar asserted that these accounts were fraudulent. Meanwhile, the police conducted further investigations into this matter; it was discovered that more than 100 accounts were opened in the Samata Patasanstha (Samata Nagari Cooperative Credit Society) in the names of just 57 account holders. Ashok Kharat serves as the nominee in all of these accounts.
April 13, 2026:
In connection with the Ashok Kharat case, the ED (Enforcement Directorate) raided his properties in Nashik and Pune. The ED conducted a raid on Kharat’s ‘Truptibala’ bungalow at 6:00 AM on Monday (April 13). This operation was carried out jointly by the Income Tax Department and the ED. Officials from the ED and the Income Tax Department are currently scrutinizing documents related to assets and fraudulent transactions during these unannounced raids. In addition to Ashok Kharat, the ED also raided the Pune residence of CA Lalit Pophale, who looked after the financial transactions of the trust for five years. During these raids, officials seized various documents; approximately two sacks full of essential documents were confiscated. The ED has frozen funds belonging to Kharat amounting to ₹2.5 crore. His Mercedes-Benz car has also been seized.
April 17, 2026:
Dr. Jitendra Shelke—a close associate of Ashok Kharat and a member of the Shivalik Sansthan Trust—died in a horrific accident on the Samruddhi Highway. After arresting Ashok Kharat, the police interrogated Jitendra Shelke. Shelke was a key witness in Kharat’s land transactions in Shirdi.
April 19, 2026:
A court in Nashik has remanded Ashok Kharat to police custody until April 23 on charges of sexual harassment and exploitation of women. The police arrested Kharat to conduct an in-depth investigation into five separate cases and had sought his police custody. Considering the gravity of the matter, the court has accordingly remanded Kharat to police custody.
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