ED launches money-laundering probe against self-styled godman Ashok Kharat

The ED’s case is based on a First Information Report (FIR) registered by the Nashik police last month,

MUMBAI: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has launched a money laundering probe against self-styled godman Ashok Kharat who was arrested last month for allegedly raping a woman multiple times over three years, officials familiar with the matter said.

Self-styled godman Ashok Kharat

The ED’s case is based on a First Information Report (FIR) registered by the Nashik police last month, following a complaint from a businessman who accused Kharat of extorting ₹4-5 crore from him on multiple pretexts between 2018 to 2019. The complainant, who works in the real estate and construction sector, also alleged that Kharat had coerced him to transfer the ownership of his luxury car worth ₹90 lakh to him in 2018, the officials said.

The ED’s probe could spell further trouble for Kharat, who has been remanded in judicial custody by a Nashik court till April 14. Thirteen cases have so far been registered against the self-styled godman, including four cases of cheating based on complaints from three businessmen based in Mumbai, Pune and Ahilyanagar and a Shirdi-based farmer.

On Sunday, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis had announced in Nashik that the ED had taken cognisance of Kharat’s alleged dubious financial dealings and it would launch a probe against him soon. Investigators had found many bogus bank accounts belonging to Kharat from which he had made numerous transactions, Fadnavis had said, and assured that all his wrongdoings and illegal assets would be exposed.