ED conducts fresh raids at premises linked to Nashik ‘godman’ Ashok Kharat in money laundering case

NASHIK: The Enforcement Directorate on Friday conducted fresh searches at a location in Maharashtra’s Nashik district as part of a money laundering investigation against controversial self-styled godman Ashok Kharat and entities linked to him, officials said.A premises linked to Kharat in Sharanpur town was raided, they said. Officials added that documents and computer peripherals are being examined.The first round of searches in the case was conducted on April 13 at residential and commercial premises linked to Kharat, his chartered accountant (CA) Prakash Pophale, his relatives, and some cooperative credit society branches.During the earlier searches, the agency had seized Rs 42 lakh in cash and frozen assets worth Rs 2.4 crore. It was not immediately clear to whom the cash and assets belonged. The federal probe agency filed a criminal case against Kharat under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) on April 6, taking cognisance of a Nashik police FIR filed against him on charges including extortion, religious manipulation and drug-facilitated assault on multiple women.The Maharashtra government has constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) of police officials to probe the self-styled godman-cum-astrologer’s alleged criminal activities and financial dealings.Police have so far registered around a dozen FIRs against him.The controversial man was arrested by Nashik Police in March after a married woman accused him of repeatedly raping her over a period of three years. He is currently lodged in Nashik jail.ED officials said Kharat opened multiple bank accounts in two cooperative credit societies located in Nashik district in the names of third parties. They said he was named as the "nominee" in these bank accounts and had linked his mobile number to control their operations.Preliminary probe shows that he sold common items as "blessed items" by claiming they possessed divine healing powers. The money so collected from the victims and through the "extortion" operations, has been invested in various lands through his CA, they said.Photos of Kharat with prominent politicians and purported videos of his alleged criminal acts with women were widely circulated online over the past few weeks, triggering a political controversy in Maharashtra.The police SIT alleged that Kharat sexually exploited women by claiming he possessed “divine powers” and threatened to cause harm to their family members or defame them if they did not comply.(With agency inputs)