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2 arrested, 8 booked for circulating obscene videos of Ashok Kharat with victims
Tejaswi Satpute, chief of the SIT, issued a statement on Thursday warning the public against sharing such content on messaging apps and social media platforms
Police in Ahilyanagar and Nashik arrested two people and booked eight others for circulating obscene videos of a women allegedly abused by self-styled godman Ashok Kharat.
The Kopargaon city police in Ahilyanagar district registered two first information reports (FIRs) on Wednesday against three persons—two from Kopargaon and one from Majalgaon in Beed—under relevant sections of the Information Technology Act.
Two of the accused, identified as Rahul Shinde and Yogesh Adhav, both residents of Kopargaon, have been arrested. The third accused, Sandip Garje from Beed, will be arrested soon, police said.
According to the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the Kharat case, Shinde allegedly circulated an obscene video involving one of the victims in a WhatsApp group. “Adhav had forwarded the video to Shinde after receiving it from Garje,” SIT officials said.
In another case, the Satpur police in Nashik city registered cases against five persons on Thursday for allegedly circulating eight obscene videos linked to victims in the Kharat case. The accused have been booked under provisions of the Information Technology Act, and police said arrests will follow.
Tejaswi Satpute, chief of the SIT, issued a statement on Thursday warning the public against sharing such content on messaging apps and social media platforms.
“The case is sensitive and serious. People must refrain from sharing any obscene material that could reveal the identity of victims, their families or residences,” SIT officials said.
