Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis informed the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly on Tuesday about the arrest of godman “Captain” Ashok Kharat, who claimed to be a “divine incarnation”, exploited and physically tortured women in the name of rituals.
Fadnavis said a total of eight cases have been registered against the godman and assured that nobody who helped Ashok Kharat will be spared. Further investigation is underway into the case and information will be provided about it from time to time.
The police have identified six victims and registered a total of six cases, including five crimes based on the statements of five victims and one crime based on the statement of a witness regarding the incident involving his wife, Fadnavis said. “A total of eight cases have been registered in this entire case. Out of these, seven cases are being investigated by a special investigation team (SIT) headed by IPS official Tejaswini Satpute, while one case is being investigated by the Nashik City Crime Unit,” he added.
Fadnavis said the SIT was formed on March 13 to investigate both the serious cases registered against the godman at Vavi and Shirdi police stations. After this, a woman filed a complaint at the Sarkarwada police station on March 17, 2026. She said Kharat had abused her by taking advantage of her religious beliefs and giving her a sleeping pill or sedative. He was arrested the same night on March 17, Fadnavis said.
He said that since there is a possibility that Kharat might flee the country, a lookout circular was issued against him on March 10, 2026.
Fadnavis said that the accused had allegedly demanded a ransom of Rs 5 crore from a woman by threatening to make her photographs go viral. A case has been registered in Nashik police station in this case, he said.
Survivors of the godman’s atrocities have been taken into confidence and counseled and without making any of their identities public when cases were registered, he said.
“A woman filed a complaint at Sarkarwada police station. This woman was raped repeatedly by giving her a sedative and he also threatened to kill her husband. In the name of ritual, he would move his hands over their stomachs and insert his fingers into their private parts. He would make them urinate over them. He would also threaten that if anyone disclosed anything, the person would incur divine wrath, since he claimed to be a divine incarnation,” Fadnavis said.
During the preliminary investigation of this crime, Rs 6 lakh cash, two laptops were seized. A DVR, revolver, live cartridges and five fired cartridges have been found, he said.
Some more female survivors have been identified and they are prepared to file a complaint. Work is underway to delete the photos and videos of female survivors from Facebook and other social media, Fadnavis said.
Properties owned by Ashok Kharat including 33 acres of land, a farmhouse and other lands, flats, 40 gunthas of land in Panvel, a flat in Pune in the name of his daughter and a marriage hall in Sinnar have been seized. So far, assets worth Rs 40 crore have come to light. An investigation is underway to find out details about properties in the names of Ashok Kharat’s relatives, Fadnavis said.
The Shivnika Sansthan Trust run by the accused is being investigated. Both survivors and the accused in this case have been medically examined. Statements of priests and other people who were with them have also been recorded, Fadnavis informed the house.