Cops arrest ex-chairman of co-op credit society in cheating case involving astrologer Ashok Kharat

Nashik: The Sinnar police in rural Nashik on Wednesday arrested Namkaran Aware (65), the then chairman of Shri Jagdamba Mata Gramin Bigar Sheti Sahakari Pat Sanstha, a cooperative credit society, at Kundewadi in a cheating case that also involves Nashik astrologer Ashok Kharat as a co-accused.

Judicial Magistrate First Class LC Wadikar in Sinnar on Thursday ordered Aware’s custodial remand till May 18. The court observed that the charges against Aware were serious and the investigation was in a prime stage.

The police’s case is, between Aug 10, 2016, and Oct 31, 2023, when Aware and Kharat (67) were directors of the credit society and its manager, Avinash Waman Kandekar (54) along with other staff members opened 32 bogus accounts without following the norms for opening of such accounts, and transacted large amounts of money through these accounts. Two of these accounts were in the name of deceased individuals.

The police said the individuals whose names were used to open these accounts were unaware about the same. One such individual, Narayan Ghotekar, a resident of Ghotewadi in Sinnar taluka, lodged a complaint in this connection on April 20 naming Kharat and others following which the police first arrested Kandekar on April 22. Kandekar is now in jail under court custody.

Kharat, who faces 17 criminal cases, including eight of sexual offences against women and the rest involving cheating and offences under the Black Magic Act, could not be arrested by the Sinnar police till May 12 as he was in custody of the SIT, probing the alleged sexual crimes, and other police units. Sinnar police arrested Kharat in the present case on May 12 and a local court on Wednesday ordered his remand in police custody till May 18.

On Thursday, the police produced Aware before JMFC Wadikar to seek his custodial remand. Public Prosecutor Jagdish Patil submitted that accounts were opened without proper documentation or the consent of the individuals named. The police have to collect the forged documents regarding opening of the accounts and find out how they opened the accounts even in the name of deceased people.

Patil told the court that Aware was in receipt of 2% commission on the transactions from the bogus accounts and the police needed to trace and recover the amount for which the custodial remand was needed. Patil submitted that the police also needed to investigate Kharat and Aware’s association with the Shiwanika Trust at Mirgaon founded by Kharat.

Aware’s advocate RJ Kasliwal opposed the remand on the grounds that his client was 65 years of age and a heart patient and was a respected member of the society, being the chairman of the Sinnar Taluka Industrial Cooperative Estate. That, his client was ready to cooperate with the investigation and there was no need for his police custody.