ED opens money laundering probe into Maharashtra godman Ashok Kharat amid multiple criminal cases

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has initiated a money laundering investigation against Nashik-based self-styled godman Ashok Kharat , widening the legal scrutiny against him following a series of serious criminal allegations and police cases in Maharashtra.

The federal agency’s Mumbai zonal office has registered an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), taking cognisance of multiple FIRs filed by the Maharashtra Police. Officials said Kharat and his associates will be summoned for questioning as part of the probe into suspected financial irregularities and the generation of illicit assets.

Kharat, who projected himself as a spiritual figure and astrologer, operated primarily from Nashik and had built a local following before his activities came under scrutiny earlier this year.

The case against him escalated in March when he was arrested following allegations by a married woman who accused him of repeatedly raping her over a period of three years. Subsequently, the Maharashtra Police registered a total of eight FIRs against him.

Investigations into these complaints have revealed a broader pattern of alleged offences, including sexual exploitation and financial misconduct. Authorities have also pointed to irregularities in land transactions, the opening and use of accounts in cooperative credit societies, and acquisition of properties suspected to be disproportionate to known sources of income.

The ED’s probe is focused on tracing the “proceeds of crime” generated from these alleged activities. Officials are examining bank accounts, property documents, and financial transactions linked to Kharat to determine whether illicit funds were laundered or diverted through various channels.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has said that multiple financial transactions linked to Kharat have been identified and expressed confidence that unlawful assets and wrongdoing will be exposed.

If money laundering charges are established, the case could lead to attachment of properties, further arrests, and prosecution under the PMLA, significantly compounding Kharat’s legal challenges beyond the existing criminal cases.