Ashok Kharat remanded to magisterial custody

The Shirdi police had requested the court to grant two more days of police remand of Kharat since he was allegedly not cooperating with the investigators

The court of judicial magistrate first class (JMFC) PR Phulari in Rahata, Ahilyanagar district, on Saturday remanded the arrested self-styled godman, Ashok Kharat, to 14 days of magisterial custody.

The investigators have to quiz him to garner information about his wife’s whereabouts since she is absconding. (HT FILE)

The Shirdi police had requested the court to grant two more days of police remand of Kharat since he was allegedly not cooperating with the investigators. Moreover, the investigators have to quiz him to garner information about his wife’s whereabouts since she is absconding.

The defence opposed further police remand stating that police have completed investigations. Moverover, Kharat is unaware about his wife’s whereabouts since he has been in jail for over one-and-a-half months.

Public prosecutor GV Borde said that the court remanded Kharat to magisterial custody.

The Shirdi police in Ahilyanagar on May 4 night took custody of the arrested self-styled godman to investigate a cheating case registered against him, his wife Kalpana and three of his aides, on March 31.

After taking Kharat in custody, the Shirdi police had produced him in the Rahata court on May 5, which had remanded him to police custody till May 9.

A local farmer, Raosaheb Gondkar, had accused the five of fraudulently taking away his 4 acres of land worth ₹10 crore in 2023.

After the court proceedings on Saturday, Shirdi police sent Kharat back to Nashik Central Jail, where he remains in magisterial custody until May 16. This follows the completion of his police custody in all nine cases investigated by the special investigation team (SIT) related to sexual exploitation and cheating allegations against him.