‘Targeted pregnant women’: 2 more rape FIRs on astrologer

Nashik: Sarkarwada police in Nashik on Saturday lodged two more cases of rape against astrologer Ashok Kharat.

One of the FIRs was filed following a complaint from a former employee of Kharat, accusing him of sexually assaulting his wife between Nov 2023 and Dec 2025, including when she was seven months pregnant, under the pretext of performing spiritual rituals.





In his complaint, the former employee said after he wasn't able to make enough money through his trade, he joined Kharat's property development office in Nashik city in 2019. He alleged that the astrologer molested his wife under the pretext of giving her his blessings for a healthy child. When she confided in her husband, he decided to dig deep into Kharat's activities and got a CCTV camera installed in his cabin to collect video evidence of his alleged criminal acts with women, he said. According to the complaint, the evidence showed Kharat forcing women who visited his office to consume sedative-laced drinks as part of an aghori ritual, and incapacitating and raping them.

The complainant said when he confronted Kharat, he was fired from the job. When Kharat learned that he possessed video evidence of the crimes, he allegedly started threatening him and his family. The complainant said he did not approach police earlier because of Kharat's connections with senior politicians. Upon hearing of his arrest by Nashik police, he decided to register a complaint.

The other case was registered after a woman said Kharat raped her multiple times between Feb 2020 and March this year under the pretext of securing her a bright future after she went through a divorce. She alleged he sedated her and terminated her pregnancy when she told him she was pregnant.

Besides rape charge, Sarkarwada police invoked BNS Sections 74 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty) and 351(2) (criminal intimidation) and 3(1) and 3(2) of Maharashtra Prevention and Eradication of Human Sacrifice and other Inhuman, Evil and Aghori Practices and Black Magic Act.