Two more FIRs filed against Nashik self-styled godman Ashok Kharat

The charges include a rape complaint filed by an Ahilyanagar woman on Tuesday night and a separate case of extortion and cheating reported by a businessman on Wednesday

The Sarkarwada police in Nashik city have filed two more first information reports (FIRs) against self-styled godman Ashok Kharat, bringing his total case count to eight.

Earlier, five women have come forward with complaints of sexual abuse, while another case was filed by a former office staffer accusing Kharat of allegedly raping his wife. (HT FILE)

The charges include a rape complaint filed by an Ahilyanagar woman on Tuesday night and a separate case of extortion and cheating reported by a businessman on Wednesday.

In the latest FIR filed based on the businessman’s complaint, Kharat extorted him worth ₹4 to ₹5 crores on different pretext between 2018 and 2019. The businessman, who deals in real estate and construction business, alleged that he had also transferred the ownership of his luxury car worth ₹90 lakh in Kharat’s name in 2018.

In the another FIR, the woman from Shirdi alleged that Kharat raped her four times between July and December 2024, police said.

Kharat allegedly threatened her, claiming he had “divine powers” and could harm her family or cause her parents’ deaths if she disclosed the abuse.

The woman and her parents first approached Kharat in 2021 through his office staffer, Niraj Jadhav, seeking guidance on constructing a house on their plot. She claimed that Kharat advised them against building on the land and said he would offer a remedy later.

In July 2024, the woman and her parents met Kharat again as she sought his guidance for securing a good job. She is a management graduate.

According to the complaint, Kharat asked her parents to wait outside his chamber, after which he allegedly sedated and raped her. She further alleged that he assaulted her on three more occasions until December 2024.

The woman stated that in December, she received a video clip on WhatsApp from an unknown number showing obscene acts involving Kharat and her.

When she confronted Kharat, he allegedly claimed the clip was AI-generated and advised her to file a complaint against the sender. She subsequently approached the Shirdi police but did not mention the alleged assaults at the time.

After Kharat’s arrest by Nashik city police earlier this month, the woman disclosed the alleged abuse to her parents and has now lodged a formal complaint, police said.

Earlier, five women have come forward with complaints of sexual abuse, while another case was filed by a former office staffer accusing Kharat of allegedly raping his wife.