ED raids premises linked to Ashok Kharat across Maharashtra in money laundering case

The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) on Monday conducted raids across various cities of Maharashtra linked to the premises of arrested Nashik-based self-styled godman Ashok Kharat and his associates in connection with an alleged money laundering case.

The agency filed an ECIR against the fraud godman on April 6 on the basis of an FIR filed by Nashik police on March 25 for alleged extortion, alleged religious manipulation as well as alleged drug facilitated assault on the innocent victims including women.

Kharat, a former merchant Navy officer turned self-proclaimed godman, was arrested in Nashik on March 18 for the alleged rape of a 27-year-old woman.

Preliminary enquiries revealed that Ashok Kharat had opened various bank accounts with two cooperative credit societies based out of Nashik district in the names of different third parties, but he stood as nominee to all those bank accounts and had annexed his mobile number for all these bogus accounts to exercise control over the operations of these bank accounts.

Probe also revealed that he sold common items as blessed items by claiming they possessed divine healing powers.

The money collected from the victims and through extortion, had been invested in various lands through his chartered accountant Prakash Pophale and his sons.

The raids, which began on Monday morning, were conducted at five premises in Nashik, three premises in Pune and three premises in Shirdi under provisions of PMLA, 2002.

The residential and commercial premises linked to Kharat, his chartered accountant Prakash Pophale and other relatives as well as the respective branches of the cooperative credit societies were also raided.