ED searches office premises of arrested ‘godman’ Ashok Kharat

The agency is seeking documents and records, including property-related papers, to trace how Kharat allegedly utilised the proceeds of crime

MUMBAI: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday conducted a search at the Nashik office premises of self-styled godman Ashok Kharat, who was arrested in March on charges including rape, sexual assault, promoting superstition, extortion and money laundering.

The agency is seeking documents and records, including property-related papers, to trace how Ashok Kharat allegedly utilised the proceeds of crime.

According to officials aware of the developments, the agency is seeking documents and records, including property-related papers, to trace how Kharat allegedly utilised the proceeds of crime. The premises had earlier been sealed by the Nashik police as part of their investigation.

Friday’s operation followed searches of 11 locations linked to Kharat, his relatives and associates across Nashik, Pune, and Shirdi on Monday. Across the 12 searches conducted over the two days, the ED froze bank funds worth around ₹2.4 crore, seized ₹42 lakh in suspected unaccounted cash, and recovered around 90 property documents estimated to be worth several crores, officials said.

The agency also seized a high-end Mercedes-Benz SUV allegedly linked to Kharat. Officials suspect the vehicle may be the same one mentioned in an extortion case registered against Kharat by the Nashik police, which the ED has taken over as part of its money-laundering probe.

The case pertains to allegations that Kharat extorted ₹4-5 crore from a Nashik-based businessman on multiple pretexts between 2018 and 2019. According to the FIR, the complainant, a real estate businessman, alleged that Kharat also coerced him into transferring ownership of his luxury car, valued at ₹90 lakh, in 2018. The ED’s case, registered over a week ago, is based on this FIR.

The ED’s money-trail probe, which is at a preliminary stage, indicates that Kharat allegedly controlled several accounts at two co-operative credit societies headquartered in Nashik, officials said. Though the accounts were held in others’ names, the accused “godman” was listed as the nominee and had linked his mobile number to them, allowing him to exercise control over their operations, investigators said. The agency is currently scrutinising transaction details of these accounts.

The ED has also found that Kharat allegedly sold ordinary items to his followers at inflated rates, claiming they were blessed and possessed divine healing powers. The funds he collected this way, as well as through extortion operations, were used to purchase multiple plots through his chartered accountant, Prakash Pophale, and his sons, investigators said. Pophale’s premises were among those searched this week.

The predicate FIR, based on which the ED registered its money-laundering case on April 6, covered offences related to alleged religious manipulation and drug-facilitated assaults on innocent victims, including women. The FIR was registered by Nashik’s Sarkarwada police station on March 25.

Thirteen cases have so far been registered against Kharat, including four cases of cheating based on complaints from three businessmen based in Mumbai, Pune and Ahilyanagar and a Shirdi-based farmer.