Nashik Court Extends Police Custody for Self-Styled Godman Ashok Kharat in Sixth Sexual Exploitation Case; Separate FIR Filed Against Another Figure

Apr 24, 2026, 08:11

Introduction

A court in Nashik has remanded self-proclaimed spiritual figure Ashok Kharat to police custody until April 26 in a sixth case of alleged sexual exploitation, while a separate First Information Report (FIR) has been registered against another individual, Maheshgiri alias Mahesh Dilip Kakde, for similar offenses.

Main Body

Ashok Kharat, a former Merchant Navy officer who presented himself as a godman, was arrested on March 18. He faces accusations of sexually exploiting multiple women and conducting large-scale financial fraud by asserting he possessed divine powers and knowledge of black magic. The Special Investigation Team (SIT), which is examining 12 cases against Kharat in Nashik and Ahilyanagar districts, requested his custody in the sixth case. The court granted this request, and Kharat was produced via video conferencing for security reasons. The prosecution argued that the accused administered a sedative to the victim, raped her, and compelled her to participate in rituals. The prosecution also stated that a financial investigation was necessary. Kharat’s legal representative, Sachin Bhate, contended that the police were investigating the same circumstances across multiple cases and using identical arguments to seek custody. SIT officer Ravindra Manjre countered that each case involved a different victim and time frame, necessitating a detailed inquiry. Chief Judicial Magistrate B N Ichpurani subsequently ordered Kharat’s police custody until April 26. Concurrently, the Nashik police have registered an FIR against Maheshgiri alias Mahesh Dilip Kakde, another self-proclaimed godman, for the alleged sexual exploitation of a 28-year-old woman. According to officials, the alleged offenses occurred in 2024. The victim filed a complaint on Wednesday after receiving counseling from activists of the Andhashraddha Nirmoolan Samiti (ANS), an anti-superstition organization. The complaint states that the woman’s parents took her to a mutt known as ''Prati Gangapur'' in Dharangaon village near Lasalgaon to address personal problems. Kakde allegedly claimed she was affected by ''Karni'', instructed the family to perform rituals, and subsequently sent obscene messages, took her to a lodge, and sexually exploited her. He is also accused of taking objectionable photographs and threatening her with consequences if she reported the incident. A case under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Maharashtra Prevention and Eradication of Human Sacrifice and other Inhuman, Evil and Aghori Practices and Black Magic Act, 2013, was registered at Lasalgaon police station.

Conclusion

The legal proceedings against Ashok Kharat continue with an extension of police custody for a sixth case, while a separate investigation has commenced against Maheshgiri alias Mahesh Dilip Kakde following a recent complaint. Both cases involve allegations of sexual exploitation by individuals claiming divine powers.

Vocabulary Learning

alleged
Said or claimed to be the case, typically without proof; used to describe an incident or action that is formally accused but not yet proven.被指控的；據稱的 (尚未證實)。
Example:The alleged offenses took place over a period of several months, according to the prosecution's timeline.
concurrently
Existing, happening, or done at the same time; simultaneously.同時地；並發地。
Example:Concurrently with the main trial, a separate hearing was held to address the defendant's bail application.
contended
To assert or argue formally in the face of opposition; to maintain a position in a legal or formal debate.(在爭論或法律辯論中) 堅稱；主張。
Example:The defense lawyer contended that the evidence was obtained unlawfully and should be excluded.
erradication
The complete destruction or removal of something, especially something undesirable or harmful.根除；消滅；徹底清除。
Example:The new law focuses on the eradication of superstitious practices that lead to human rights abuses.
remanded
To send a person accused of a crime back into custody, typically while awaiting trial or further investigation.將被告還押，通常指在候審或進一步調查期間送回拘留所。
Example:The court has remanded the suspect to police custody for an additional week to allow for further inquiries.

Sentence Learning

He faces accusations of sexually exploiting multiple women and conducting large-scale financial fraud by asserting he possessed divine powers and knowledge of black magic.
This sentence features a complex prepositional phrase ('by asserting he possessed divine powers and knowledge of black magic') that contains a subordinate noun clause ('he possessed divine powers and knowledge of black magic') acting as the object of the gerund 'asserting'. The main clause is 'He faces accusations', with two coordinated gerund phrases ('sexually exploiting...' and 'conducting...') as objects of the preposition 'of'. This structure demonstrates high lexical density and syntactic embedding.此句包含一個複雜的介詞短語（'by asserting he possessed divine powers and knowledge of black magic'），其中嵌套了一個名詞子句（'he possessed divine powers and knowledge of black magic'）作為動名詞 'asserting' 的受詞。主句為 'He faces accusations'，並有兩個並列的動名詞短語（'sexually exploiting...' 和 'conducting...'）作為介詞 'of' 的受詞。此結構展現了高詞彙密度與句法嵌套。
The Special Investigation Team (SIT), which is examining 12 cases against Kharat in Nashik and Ahilyanagar districts, requested his custody in the sixth case.
This sentence employs a non-restrictive relative clause ('which is examining 12 cases against Kharat in Nashik and Ahilyanagar districts') that provides additional information about the subject 'The Special Investigation Team (SIT)'. The main clause is 'The Special Investigation Team (SIT) requested his custody in the sixth case'. The use of a non-restrictive relative clause adds descriptive depth without defining the subject, a hallmark of advanced writing.此句使用了一個非限制性關係子句（'which is examining 12 cases against Kharat in Nashik and Ahilyanagar districts'），為主詞 'The Special Investigation Team (SIT)' 提供補充資訊。主句為 'The Special Investigation Team (SIT) requested his custody in the sixth case'。非限制性關係子句的運用增添了描述深度，而不限定主詞，這是高階寫作的標誌。
The prosecution argued that the accused administered a sedative to the victim, raped her, and compelled her to participate in rituals.
This sentence features a main clause ('The prosecution argued') followed by a noun clause ('that the accused administered a sedative to the victim, raped her, and compelled her to participate in rituals') functioning as the direct object. Within the noun clause, a series of three coordinated verb phrases ('administered...', 'raped...', 'compelled...') creates a parallel structure that emphasizes the sequence of alleged actions. This demonstrates mastery of complex complementation and parallelism.此句包含一個主句（'The prosecution argued'），後接一個名詞子句（'that the accused administered a sedative to the victim, raped her, and compelled her to participate in rituals'）作為直接受詞。在名詞子句中，三個並列的動詞短語（'administered...', 'raped...', 'compelled...'）形成平行結構，強調了指控行為的順序。這展現了對複雜補語結構與平行結構的掌握。
Kharat’s legal representative, Sachin Bhate, contended that the police were investigating the same circumstances across multiple cases and using identical arguments to seek custody.
This sentence contains a main clause ('Kharat’s legal representative, Sachin Bhate, contended') with an appositive ('Sachin Bhate') renaming the subject. It is followed by a noun clause ('that the police were investigating the same circumstances across multiple cases and using identical arguments to seek custody') as the direct object. The noun clause includes two coordinated verb phrases ('were investigating...' and 'using...'), with the second phrase omitting the auxiliary 'were' for conciseness, illustrating ellipsis in coordinated structures.此句包含一個主句（'Kharat’s legal representative, Sachin Bhate, contended'），其中帶有一個同位語（'Sachin Bhate'）重新說明主詞。其後接一個名詞子句（'that the police were investigating the same circumstances across multiple cases and using identical arguments to seek custody'）作為直接受詞。名詞子句中包含兩個並列的動詞短語（'were investigating...' 和 'using...'），第二個短語省略了助動詞 'were' 以求簡潔，展現了並列結構中的省略用法。
A case under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Maharashtra Prevention and Eradication of Human Sacrifice and other Inhuman, Evil and Aghori Practices and Black Magic Act, 2013, was registered at Lasalgaon police station.
This sentence features a complex noun phrase as the subject ('A case under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Maharashtra Prevention and Eradication of Human Sacrifice and other Inhuman, Evil and Aghori Practices and Black Magic Act, 2013'), which includes a lengthy prepositional phrase specifying the legal basis. The main clause is passive ('was registered at Lasalgaon police station'). The sentence demonstrates high lexical density through the use of multiple coordinated nouns and a detailed legal title, typical of formal legal discourse.此句的主詞為一個複雜的名詞短語（'A case under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Maharashtra Prevention and Eradication of Human Sacrifice and other Inhuman, Evil and Aghori Practices and Black Magic Act, 2013'），其中包含一個冗長的介詞短語，用以說明法律依據。主句為被動語態（'was registered at Lasalgaon police station'）。此句通過使用多個並列名詞和詳細的法律名稱，展現了高詞彙密度，這是正式法律語篇的典型特徵。