Nashik sexual abuse case: SIT probes godman Ashok Kharat, assets under lens

Nashik,UPDATED: Mar 20, 2026 02:28 IST

The Maharashtra government has formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe a sexual abuse case linked to self-styled godman Ashok Kharat, also known as “Captain.” The SIT is being led by IPS officer Tejaswini Satpute.

Satpute on Thursday questioned Kharat for nearly two hours. She did not share details of the interrogation and said she would speak to the media once more information is available.

The case has taken a new turn with an extortion complaint filed in Shirdi. A woman told police she received an objectionable photograph from a phone number and was threatened that it would be made viral unless she paid money.

She said she was shocked to see explicit images and videos of herself. According to her complaint, the accused worked at Kharat’s Nashik office. She also said she had visited the office a few years ago.

Police registered the case on February 18, 2026. The accused, identified as Neeraj Jadhav, has not yet been arrested.

Investigators are now trying to find out whether Jadhav was acting on his own or at Kharat’s direction. Police say this will become clearer after his arrest.

Meanwhile, the Nashik Crime Branch searched Kharat’s residence and seized a pistol, cartridges and Rs 6.5 lakh in cash. Officials say Kharat has built assets worth around Rs 200 crore over the past 15 years, raising questions about his income sources.

According to investigators, his properties include about 30 acres of land in Pathardi village in Nashik, valued at around Rs 150 crore. He also owns 45 acres in Sinnar taluka, estimated at Rs 2 crore.

Police said land purchase deeds worth over Rs 30 crore have been registered in the names of his wife Kalpana, daughter Srishti and another relative in Nashik’s Pathardi and Gaulane areas.

Kharat also owns a farmhouse worth more than Rs 10 crore near the Ishaneshwar temple in Sinnar. The temple trust itself has an annual turnover of around Rs 2 crore.

Other assets include land worth Rs 5 crore near Ozar airport in Janori village, a bungalow in Karmayogi Nagar valued at Rs 5 crore, and an office near Canada Corner worth about Rs 1 crore. He also owns agricultural land in a prime location in Shirdi, valued in crores.

The SIT is continuing its probe into the allegations, including the financial trail and the wider network linked to Kharat.

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