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Godwoman, two others arrested from Nashik for cheating techie couple of ₹14 crore
The arrested accused have been identified as Deepak Janardhan Khadke, an alleged godman from Nashik, and Vedika and Kunal Pandharpurkar, a couple from Kothrud, Pune
A senior IT professional from Pune has filed a police complaint alleging that a self-proclaimed godwoman defrauded his family of nearly ₹14 crore over six years, claiming she could perform spiritual healing for his two daughters. Acting on the complaint, the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Pune Police arrested three individuals from Nashik late Thursday night in connection with the case.
The arrested accused have been identified as Deepak Janardhan Khadke, an alleged godman from Nashik, and Vedika and Kunal Pandharpurkar, a couple from Kothrud, Pune, who claimed to be the daughter and son-in-law of Shankar Maharaj, a revered saint.
Police said the complainant, Dipak Pundalik Dolas, a senior IT professional, and his wife, residents of Woodland Society in Kothrud, were allegedly cheated between 2019 and 2024. The couple approached Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar earlier this week and submitted a detailed complaint describing how the accused exploited their emotional distress.
Kumar confirmed the arrests, saying, “An FIR was registered on Thursday, and we have arrested all three individuals involved. The process to bring them back to Pune is underway.”
According to the complaint, the couple’s ordeal began when their elder daughter was diagnosed with a mental health disorder and their younger daughter developed alopecia, a severe condition causing hair loss. When medical treatments failed to show improvement, the family turned to spiritual gatherings seeking help.
In 2018, during one such event, they met Khadke, who introduced them to Vedika and Kunal Pandharpurkar. The duo allegedly claimed to be the “daughter and son-in-law of Shankar Maharaj, and asserted that Vedika possessed divine powers, claiming she could channel the revered saint’s spirit to heal people.
Dolas alleged that Vedika gradually convinced the family to sell multiple assets — including a house in the United Kingdom, property in Pune, and agricultural land in their native village — claiming the funds were needed to facilitate a “spiritual process” for their daughters’ recovery.
Between 2019 and 2024, the family transferred around ₹14 crore in several instalments into bank accounts controlled by Vedika and Kunal. When their daughters’ conditions failed to improve, the couple realised they had been duped.
Advocate Vijay Thombre Patil, representing the Dolas family, said, “My clients approached the police commissioner and submitted an application seeking criminal action against the accused. The case has now been handed over to the Economic Offences Wing.”
Police said the accused will be brought to Pune for further questioning. Investigators are tracing the money trail and verifying assets allegedly acquired through the fraud.
